Reckless Surrender
by bradysfancyface
Summary: Bo and Hope are divorced and seeing other people. After being forced to work together on a case, they both have many questions about the state of their relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter One**

Bo Brady struggled with closed eyes to locate his alarm clock. He carelessly swatted his hand at every object on his night stand until a successful swat made the terrible blaring noise cease. He rubbed his eyes. The sleeping woman beside him stirred. He opened his eyes to a relatively dark room and sighed.

"Stay in bed…" Carly groaned into her pillow. She reached for him, wanting to pull him closer.

Bo sat up, "I can't… duty calls."

Carly forced herself up. It was 5:00AM. She crawled over beside him and placed a kiss on his shoulder, "Have a good day."

Bo smiled, "You too…. get some more sleep."

Carly leaned into the kiss he placed on her forehead, "Maybe I should just go in and round early. We could grab dinner tonight."

"I'll have to see what Abe has planned for Roman and me. I'll check in with you later." Bo replied standing from the bed. He was starting a new case today. There was no telling how late he would work, "Hopefully he doesn't have much. I love you."

Carly frowned, already disappointed, "Love you too."

Bo watched her fall back into bed and slipped into the bathroom to start his day.

* * *

At the Salem Police Department Hope Brady winced as the hot tea she sipped burnt her tongue.

"Hope, I'm glad you're early…" Abe greeted as he strolled into the room, "We need to talk."

"About the new case?" Hope asked with a hint of excitement.

"Yeah… about that… look…" Abe sighed, his face heavy with apprehension.

"Abe, don't you dare tell me I have to sit out on this one." Hope folded her arms defensively across her chest.

Abe shook his head, "No… no…"

"Then what?" Hope shrugged, "What's the problem? What are you so afraid to tell me?"

"Well. I'm giving you a new partner." Abe smiled flatly.

"I'm not working with Rafe?" Hope questioned, "Why? We're good together. I wasn't aware you hired any new detectives."

"Rafe will be better utilized on another case." Abe replied, "This new case requires my best team. And while you and Rafe are great, it's important to the department, that I put my best detectives on this."

Hope's heart sank, "This partner… isn't exactly new is he?"

Abe shook his head, "Come on Hope. Please. I'm begging you."

Hope stared at her superior officer with guarded eyes, "What about Roman?"

"I'm putting him with Rafe." Abe replied.

"Roman's not going to like this," Hope shook her head, "Why can't I work with Roman? He'll be furious you're sidelining him on such a big case."

"Roman already knows." Abe nodded, "He understands. He's been commissioner before. He knows how this works… and he knows that you and Bo are the best team we've got."

"We used to be," Hope corrected, "That was years ago."

"I know things aren't exactly great between the two of you. With everything that has happened you probably don't want to work together more than you have to… but Hope… you can't deny you guys work well together." Abe spoke sincerely, desperate for Hope to agree.

Hope forcefully exhaled, "It's fine. I'll do it. We're both professionals. We're both adults. We've actually been coparenting Ciara quite well lately. So. Why not bring it back to the office?"

Abe sighed with relief, "So you'll do it? You'll work with Bo?"

Hope nodded, "I'm not making any promises. I'll try to keep the fighting to a minimum."

Roman appeared, showing up for duty "Well knowing that pigheaded bastard it's as much his fault as it is yours."

"What did you just call me?"

Hope almost blushed as she and Abe turned to see Bo entering the station.

"A pigheaded bastard." Roman smiled, unashamed of the banter he dished to his younger brother.

Bo smiled lightly, "Well, what else is new?"

"You and Hope are sharing an assignment." Abe replied matter of factly.

Bo questioningly looked at Roman who shrugged and then let his eyes dart towards Hope. He searched her face for a moment before swallowing slowly and nodding, "Okay…."

"Let's get started." Hope spoke surely, "We're wasting daylight."


	2. Chapter 2

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Two**

Bo stared mindlessly at the beer bottle in front of him. After ordering, he decided that he didn't really want it. Carly's voice drew him from his daze.

"How was your day?"

He looked at her sizing him up from across their table. They sat in the Horton Town Square making good on their promises of dinner plans from earlier that morning. Bo shrugged, "Fine."

"So what's got you in such a mood?" Carly asked softly.

Bo thought about the weird day he'd spent with Hope. She'd been so distant. Her words were cool, her body guarded. She'd been the utmost professional and for some reason it bothered him.

He attempted to focus his attention back on his conversation with Carly, "Huh?"

"Bo, what's going on with you?" Carly asked, worry evident on her face, "You're being weird. Something is obviously bothering you."

Bo shook his head, "Work. New case. Abe split Roman and I up today… made Hope and I partners again. It's gonna be a long road."

Carly's stomach flip flopped. She watched him avoid her gaze, "Are you worried about working with her?"

Bo bit his lip, "No. We've done it before."

"Yeah, when you were married." Carly spat a little more forcefully than she had intended to.

"Look, this was Abe's order." Bo scowled, "Hope and I are finally learning to be civil with one another. This is hard enough as it is. I don't need you breathing down my neck about it."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't want to do this right now…." Bo rolled his eyes, "It's been a long day. I have a lot on my mind."

He stood, tossing money on the table, and walked away without another word. Carly watched him leave, trying not to appear embarrassed at the small scene. She made no attempts to stop him. Instead, she held back her unshed tears and finished her dinner in silence.

* * *

Across town at the Brady Pub, Hope sat at a table with Ciara, Chase and Aiden. She poked lightly at her meal, surprised she wasn't hungry after her emotionally draining day at work.

"Everything okay babe?" Aiden asked softly. He kept his voice under the conversation of their children's, "You seem off."

Hope's eyes darted up to meet his. She offered a small, flat, smile and nodded once, "Yes. Fine."

"Are you sure?" He asked as he reached for her hand, "You seem down."

"Just tired," Hope sighed, "We started a new case at work. It's always stressful to get all the beginning kinks worked out you know?"

"Sure." Aiden smiled, "It will get better. You have a great partner. I'm sure you guys will get in the swing of things."

Hope bit her lip and stared at her plate. She knew Aiden was referring to Rafe, but she didn't have the nerve to correct him. She was too exhausted to explain. Her mind raced as she thought of the day she spent with Bo. It was long. It was awkward, but most of all it was hard. It was hard because she realized how far they'd drifted apart. She didn't recognize the people they'd become. They didn't know how to be in the same room together anymore. The silence had been deafening.

"You know what?" Hope exhaled the thoughts that swarmed her, "I think I'm going to get going. I need to get home. Ciara needs a bath and I'm just really tired. I should go."

Aiden eyed her suspiciously, but agreed, "Okay. Call me later."

Hope nodded with her flat smile and then directed her attention towards her daughter, "Ciara, let's go."

"But I'm not finished…" Ciara whined motioning to her half eaten plate.

Hope walked to the counter and grabbed a box. She placed her daughter's food in the box and grabbed Ciara's hand, "You can eat the rest at home. We gotta go."

Ciara huffed at her mother, displaying her disapproval, but stood with obedience.

Aiden stood to kiss Hope goodbye, "Goodnight my beautiful girls."

"Goodnight," Ciara smiled, "Bye Chase."

"Goodnight," Hope smiled.

Aiden watched Hope leave hand in hand with Ciara, knowing full well that something more than work was bothering her. He decided to let it be and finish his dinner with his son.


	3. Chapter 3

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Three**

Bo and Hope stood in silence at the front door of the Kiriakis mansion. They both faced the house, eyes on the door. Hope stood with her arms crossed defensively against her chest, lightly tapped her toe. She fidgeted impatiently. Bo's jaw clenched. His arms hung at his sides but his hands were in uneasy fists. When the door opened, the relief was mutual.

"Bo? Hope?" Victor questioned with a pleasantly surprised smile, "Together? To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Business," Hope corrected, "Not pleasure."

Bo raised his eyebrows towards his father and watched his ex-wife brush passed both of them.

"Well that's a damn shame." Victor mumbled to his son.

"We just have a couple of questions." Bo reassured.

Victor closed the front door and directed them into the living room, "What kind of questions?"

"What do you know about the gun shipment due in the pier in two weeks?" Hope asked.

"I know nothing." Victor replied.

"C'mon.." Bo huffed, "We know better."

Victor stared at the two of them. They stared back at him like hungry wolves.

"Victor, we know it's not a Kiriakis shipment." Hope said, "But we also know that the Kiriakis empire wouldn't allow an unidentified shipment run through its territory."

"Right." Bo added, "So what gives?"

"It's not running through Kiriakis territory." Victor sighed with defeat, "It's running where Kiriakis territory meets Dimera territory."

"No man's land." Bo replied in understanding.

"So you expect us to believe that another organization is walking the line between the two most powerful organizations in Salem and you know nothing?" Hope fired back.

Victor chuckled lightly, "I've always admired your drive Hope. Never let go of it."

Bo's eyes slowly drifted from his father's to Hope. He saw that familiar fire burning deep within her, and he had to admit to himself that he admired it too. He always had. It had been so long since he'd seen it last. Seeing it reminded him of why he used to love working with her.

"I appreciate the flattery Victor, but that's not what I came here for." Hope retorted.

Victor smiled, "Of course I don't expect you to believe I know nothing… I may expect such things from the rest of the Salem PD, but not the two of you."

"So then tell us what you know." Bo demanded, "We really don't have all day. We want to work with you, not against you."

"I just know that this is a cross country shipment." Victor shrugged, "It originated in New York. I have nothing invested in it and neither does Stephano. Our hands are clean."

"This organization isn't paying you to pass through?" Bo asked.

Victor shook his head, "No man's land."

"You and Stephano aren't going to try to stop it?" Hope questioned, "If you're not making money and exercising no power or control, what makes you think this outsider isn't testing the waters for expansion?"

"I have nothing else to say," Victor replied calmly, "I've told you all I know."

"Let us know if you think of anything else." Bo reflected Victor's calm demeanor, admitting defeat for the battle but not the war.

Hope rolled her eyes, "We'll be back."

"I'm sure you will." Victor nodded in agreement, "It's a joy to see the two of you together again."

"Until next time," Bo sighed and followed Hope's lead as they exited the mansion.

Once they were alone in the car Hope spoke, "He knows more than he's letting on."

"Of course he does," Bo agreed, "Typical Kiriakis evasiveness."

"Well, what do you propose we do about it?" Hope questioned.

"We just might have to set up a good old fashioned stake out." Bo shrugged.

Hope's eyes lit up, "By the pier."

Bo almost smiled at the enthusiasm she radiated, "By the pier. We'll see what's really happening in _No Man's Land_…."

"Great." Hope sighed with a mixture of relief and excitement, "Let's talk to Abe and set it up."


	4. Chapter 4

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Four**

The silence was deafening. It was 3:00AM and Bo and Hope were alone on the 3rd floor of an abandoned warehouse. The warehouse was dark, the only light streaming in the building was the glow of the streetlights near the pier. Hope walked slowly from window to window. She was really pacing, but she made her steps slow enough to look casual. She couldn't sit still. It had been almost 4 years since she'd been forced to be alone with Bo. Her arms were crossed defensively across her chest, a posture she'd been using a lot lately. She guarded herself from his watchful gaze.

Bo watched her. He didn't know what else to do. She was distracting. Distracting because he knew her well and he knew she was currently avoiding him. He was unsure of what to say. She was clearly uncomfortable. He rubbed his eyes and took a long drink of the black coffee he held in his hands. A part of him felt guilty. He didn't like the idea of her hating being alone with him so much. They had too much history, but he acknowledged that maybe their history contributed to the problem.

"You're supposed to be watching the pier." Hope finally broke their silence, not being able to take his scrutinizing stare any longer.

"I am." Bo argued defensively, "What are you doing?"

"I'm watching the pier…" Hope lied. She wasn't even close to a window.

"You don't have to stand way over there," Bo replied, ignoring her lie, "You're making me nervous. Are you nervous? Why are you pacing?"

"I'm not pacing," Hope defended, "I'm walking."

"You're pacing." Bo replied flatly, "Sit down. Someone could notice your movement. We don't want to tip them off."

Hope watched him motion to the space beside him. Her throat tightened and she hated herself for the instinctive reflex, "I'm fine."

"Please?" Bo asked calmly, "It's going to be a long night if you're shuffling around over there."

Hope shook her head slightly, silently disagreeing with him. She walked towards him. Bo swallowed when she appeared next to him. The glow from the streetlights finally illuminated her anxious face. He offered a small smile as he cleared a space next to him on the bench that he sat on. Hope reluctantly took a seat beside him.

"I don't bite." Bo spoke softly as he watched her hug herself.

Hope let her eyes meet his, and for a moment she let herself get lost in them. It was only when she could hear her heart pounding like a bass drum in her ears did she look away.

"Everything okay?" Bo asked when she abruptly averted her gaze. He'd missed the privilege of staring into her rare green pools. His attitude softened. Everything was so different than it used to be, but he was sure it could never be the same.

"Uh, yeah." Hope nodded. She wanted to say something else but the words got lost on her tongue. Whatever she said would probably be a lie and she had never been good at lying to Bo, regardless of the circumstances.

They sat in silence again, both of them lost in thoughts of the past. They both stared out the window into the night.

"Want some coffee?" Bo asked, desperate to break the silence. It felt strange not knowing what to say to a person that he'd shared so much of his life with.

"Sure." Hope accepted the thermos full of caffeine that he handed to her. When their hands accidentally brushed, she refused to acknowledge her body's tingling response to his skin touching hers. She gulped the hot coffee and it burned her mouth. She continued to drink it anyway, focusing on the burning sensation instead of the pleasant tingling sensation that still radiated in her nerves from his brief touch. She wanted to feel the burn, reminding herself that all Bo ever did was burn her. In her haste, she gulped a little bit of the hot liquid into the wrong pipe. She fell into a coughing frenzy as her body attempted to stop the liquid from entering her lungs. As she coughed, a little bit of coffee spilled onto her pants. It burned.

"Whoa." Bo almost chuckled and patted her back as she coughed, "Take it easy…"

She coughed. She hacked. She almost gagged. Her eyes watered from the effort. Her throat burned and her mouth was numb. She finally caught her breath and she leaned back on the bench.

"Are you okay?" Bo asked when he was certain she was done coughing.

Hope nodded, "Got a little greedy I guess."

She handed the thermos back to him, purposely placing her hand lower than his.

"Here." Bo grabbed a napkin from his food stash and placed it on the spilled coffee that had soaked her thigh. Hope instantly flinched at the contact, and he drew his hand away.

"I'm… sorry." Bo stammered, "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Hope bit her lip and shrugged lightly with one shoulder, "You didn't."

Bo stared at her. One touch from him had made her skin crawl and for a reason unbeknownst to him, it bothered him. His heart ached a little. He watched her soak up the liquid herself. She wadded up the used napkin and handed it back to him.

"Thanks," Hope smiled sheepishly.

Bo swallowed, still bothered, "No problem."

They fell back into the familiar silence they both hated. They didn't hate it because it was quiet. They hated it because it hurt.


	5. Chapter 5

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Five**

"We should take a vacation." Aiden announced, "Just us and the kids."

Hope looked up from the book she was reading and peered over her glasses. They were in bed together at Aiden's apartment.

"What do you say?" Aiden asked, placing his work on the nightstand and rolling on his side to face her.

Hope smiled at him, "I say it sounds wonderful…"

"But?" Aiden asked. He caressed her cheek.

"But it will have to wait until this case is solved." Hope sighed. She hated being the bearer of bad news.

"What is this big mysterious case that is stealing you away from me so often?" Aiden questioned, "I hate it already."

Hope pressed her lips together, "You know I can't tell you anything. Confidential."

Aiden groaned, "I have a feeling it won't last long. You're brilliant. It doesn't stand a chance."

"You're out of your mind." Hope laughed.

"I'm serious." Aiden replied, "It'll be over before you know it, so let's start planning."

"I'd love to go anywhere with you." Hope replied before softly kissing him.

"Mmmm….." Aiden grinned back at her, "I'll remember that on all these nights this case steals you away from me."

"I'm sorry about the late nights… and the overnights…" Hope's face scrunched in an apologetic wince.

"Tell Rafe he's a lucky bastard." Aiden teased.

Hope's eyebrow's furrowed, "Rafe?"

"Yeah." Aiden laughed, "Spending all these lucky nights with my girl…. who just so happens to be the most beautiful woman in Salem."

Hope's jaw clenched and her body felt Bo's brief touch all over again. She hated herself. She hated the awkwardness. She couldn't let it happen again, "Hopefully the remaining overnights are minimal."

"Hopefully." Aiden agreed.

Hope took off her glasses and placed them and her book on the nightstand. She turned off her lamp and scooted down into the covers.

"I love you." Aiden smiled, kissing her goodnight.

"I love you too." Hope replied. She did love him, but there were places in her heart that felt nothing but sadness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Six**

"So…" Bo asked awkwardly, "What's new?"

Hope blinked. She didn't know what to make of Bo's attempt at casual chit chat.

"Talked to Shawn lately?" Bo tried when she gave him silence.

"A couple of days ago." Hope nodded, "You?"

Bo shook his head, "I need to call him. We've been in a terrible game of phone tag."

"He's doing well." Hope reassured, "He's up for a promotion."

"Really?" Bo smiled, "That's great."

"Belle is great. Claire is cuter than ever." Hope sighed, "I'm so happy they're doing well."

"Me too," Bo smiled, "A perfect little family."

They thought on that for a moment. Their son had managed to attain what they'd so desperately wanted. They'd built and maintained a perfectly happy family for many years, only to destroy it four years ago one blow at a time. They were proud of him.

"Did Ciara tell you about the baseball game next weekend?" Bo asked.

Hope nodded, "She won't shut up about it. She's probably told the whole town."

Bo laughed, "I'm pretty excited myself."

"It'll be good for the two of you." Hope smiled, "I'm sure you'll both have a lot of fun."

With both of their children out of the way, they were running out of safe topics to talk about. Still, it felt nice to actually speak to each other in the wee hours of their second stake out. Hope yawned. Bo glanced at his watch. It was 4:30AM.

"How is your dad doing?" Bo asked cautiously. If he was honest, he missed his former father-in-law.

"Fantastic." Hope beamed, "I miss him. He's due for another visit soon. Julie is crazy as ever."

"Let me know. When they visit." Bo spoke instinctively, "I mean. If you want. I'd love to see them."

Hope glanced over at him, "Bo. I wouldn't stop you from seeing my father."

Bo swallowed. Her words meant more to him than he felt they should, "Our families… kinda blurred together didn't they?"

Hope nodded with a soft smile, "That's what tends to happen when you're married for 20 something years."

"27," Bo whispered, "27 years."

Hope let her gaze drift out the window, "I know."

Bo stared at the floor. Looking back on the last four years had all been a blur, but every day of those 27 years he'd spent married to her were memorable. He wondered how they could let their relationship come to this. All he could remember was that they fell apart. They fell apart and they didn't do well catching the pieces.

Hope yawned again. She stretched her back, secretly cursing the terrible bench they sat on.

"You need to rest your eyes?" Bo asked, "I can keep watch."

Hope looked over at him and considered his offer.

"Take a minute. Or an hour." Bo shrugged, "No worries."

"Promise you'll wake me if you see anything on the pier?" Hope asked.

"I promise." Bo nodded. And he meant it. He took promises to her very serious. He'd broken one too many.

She leaned back into the bench and closed her eyes.

* * *

Several hours later, warm sunlight streaming through the window coaxed Hope's sleeping eyes open. She stirred slightly, before rubbing the sleep from her heavy eyelids. She opened her eyes and quickly shut them. She wasn't prepared for the bright sunlight to pierce her dilated pupils.

"Mmm…" Bo mumbled incoherently, "FancyFace."

Hope's eyes shot open again and she realized she had fallen asleep on Bo's shoulder. His arm was around her and she was cuddled up in the fetal position next to him.

"Brady!"

Bo jumped. He sat up straight, but struggled with disorientation, "Wh… what?!"

"Bo!" Hope scolded, but humor tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"What?" Bo asked. He looked around, realizing the sun was out, "What time is it?"

"You fell asleep!" Hope accused.

"You fell asleep first!" Bo laughed.

"Because you told me you would keep watch." Hope laughed back. She smacked his chest, and then leaned over, propping her head up with her elbows on her knees.

"I'm sorry." Bo sighed as he watched her with a smile, "You're right. I told you to take a nap."

Hope looked over at him, "We were sleeping on the job."

Bo shrugged, "A boring job."

"That's what you're going to tell our boss?" Hope questioned.

"I'm not telling him anything." Bo shook his head, "Nothing happened."

"You don't know that! We were asleep!" Hope almost shrieked as she stood, "And you're going to tell our boss something because we're late for our annual in-service."

"What?" Bo asked glancing at his watch, "Oh crap."

Hope smiled, "Yeah. Crap."

The two of them raced out of the warehouse, choosing not to acknowledge that both of them had slept better than they had in years.


	7. Chapter 7

Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Seven

Rafe, Roman, and Bo watched with raised eyebrows as Hope nailed her target with a sniper's ease. She had always been the better shooter, though none of the men on the force wanted to admit it out loud.

"Soo…." Roman turned to his younger brother, "How's the big case going?"

Bo shrugged, "Boring."

"Why were you guys late?" Rafe asked, remembering Bo and Hope rushing in late to the self defense class both looking disheveled and tired.

Bo eyed him, "Late night."

Rafe nodded, "Huh….."

"You two getting along okay?" Roman asked, "Late nights can be rough if you're fighting."

Bo exhaled. He watched Hope shoot another target, "No fighting yet. Just…. awkward. It's weird."

Abe poked his head around the door to the shooting range, "Brady & Brady…."

Roman, Bo, and Hope all turned in response. Abe rolled his eyes, "Bo and Hope. My office. Now."

Hope put down her gun. Her eyes met Rafe's questioning stare.

"What's going on with you two?" Rafe asked in a hushed whisper as she walked by him.

Hope scowled at him, "Nothing."

Rafe bit his lip and watched her follow Bo out the door.

"You two, carry on." Abe ordered to Roman and Rafe.

* * *

Bo and Hope sat quietly in Abe's office as they waited for him to join them.

"Still a nice shot I see…" Bo mumbled, referring to Hope's nailed targets.

"Better believe it." Hope side eyed him.

"I'm going to make this short." Abe announced as he walked through his office door. He closed it behind him, shutting them all in, "You two need to step up your game."

"What?" Bo spat, leaning forward to glare at his boss.

"I'm not even going to ask why you two were late this morning. I don't want to know." Abe yelled, "But this case is extremely important to this department and I don't need your personal lives getting in the way."

"What are you talking about?!" Hope almost laughed. Her skin flushed in instant defensive anger.

"You've reported nothing to me. You have nothing." Abe argued, "I expect more out of the best team on my force. Or did I make a mistake thinking you two are superior to your colleagues? Have you even investigated a single lead?"

"We've had two stakeouts and one lead." Bo argued back, "What do you expect? You didn't exactly give us much to go on."

"Then do more." Abe ordered, "We need more. I expect something on my desk by the end of the week."

"You want us to just make something up?" Hope replied sarcastically, "Evidence doesn't just appear out of thin air."

"Who's breathing down your neck man?" Bo questioned.

"Don't question me." Abe eyed them, "Did I make a mistake paring the two of you together?"

Bo and Hope stared at the floor in silence. Both of them attempting to keep their anger in check, held their tongues.

"I asked you both a question." Abe replied cooly, "Do I need to rethink this assignment or not."

"If you don't want me on the case, then bench me." Hope spat, hatefully crossing her arms across her chest. She leaned back in her chair, staring at Abe, daring him to take her up on her offer.

"What?" Bo gasped as he turned to stare at her, "You're kidding. She's kidding."

Hope said nothing. She refused to look at Bo. Bo stood from his chair in defiance and stepped closer to Abe, leaning over his desk to get in his face.

"This is bullshit." Bo continued, "Name anyone who could do a better job than me and Hope? Someone is bringing you down hard so you're passing it down to us. We've done nothing wrong. We're working this case the best we can with what we've got."

"Then do more." Abe nodded, "I want you on it day and night."

"We're supposed to just drop everything?" Hope argued, "We have a child!"

"Yes." Abe nodded flatly, "Until you bring me something else. I expect you to eat, breathe, and drink this case. Can you handle it or not?"

"Yes." Bo answered quickly, "We can BOTH handle it."

"Alright, then we're done here." Abe replied, "You're excused from the rest of the inservice. Get to work."

Hope stood, and stormed out of Abe's office. Her anger almost made it impossible to see straight. She walked with purpose. Quick. She was on a mission. A mission to be anywhere but inside of Salem Police Department.

"Hope." Bo growled. He chased after her, having to run to catch up to her, "Hope!"

She ignored him, continuing her quick pace. She could hear her pulse in her eardrums, drowning out the sound of Bo's voice.

Bo reached for her, grabbing her bicep and spinning her towards him, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Hope struggled against his grip, "Let go of me."

"Stop." Bo ordered, "Just stop."

Hope glared at him, ceasing her struggle. Her jaw clenched and her chest rose and fell rapidly.

"Can we just talk for a minute?" Bo asked calmly, loosening his grip on her arm.

She jerked away, "What is there to talk about?"

"How about why you were so quick to be benched?" Bo confronted, "You don't just quit things."

"Quit acting like you know me." Hope spat. She turned her back to him, placing both hands on her forehead as she tried to clear her head.

Bo's throat clenched, "I know you Hope. I know you whether you like it or not. Nothing is ever going to change that."

Hope felt sudden tears sting her eyes. She fought them with defiance. Her hands found her hips as she paced in silence, looking everywhere but at him. She couldn't risk losing the battle with her tears. Bo always had a knack for making her feel vulnerable.

"You can't stand me that much?" Bo asked quietly. He felt his own tears attempting to escape as he watched her struggle, "You would quit a high profile case just to get away from me?"

Hope's eyes met his. She saw the hurt in them and it released the dam she'd tried so hard to build. Tears spilled slowly over onto her cheeks, "No….."

"Then what?" Bo asked, he felt defeated. He felt confused. He couldn't decipher the feelings she caused him.

"I don't know Bo!" Hope almost yelled, "I don't know!"

Bo ran a hand over his face as she started to walk away from him again. She needed distance. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't think of a single reason for the tears on her face. She needed control. She hated being out of control.

Bo couldn't stop chasing her. He felt so unsettled. She had made it to the parking lot, when he finally caught her again.

"Bo!" Hope warned as she stopped abruptly and turned to face him, "Just leave me alone. I need some time to cool off."

Bo stared at her. Everything in him told him to do the opposite, "I can't."

He roughly reached for her face, pulling her to him in a crushing kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Eight**

Hope's nerves were swimming in an old familiar feeling as Bo's lips claimed hers. Her heart raced. Her lips were on fire. Bo broke the kiss and they both gasped for air as they searched each other's eyes.

"Oh my God," Hope gasped, "What are you doing?"

Bo dropped his hands to his sides and took a step away from her. He touched his lips as he stared at her, feeling dumbfounded by the sensation her lips had left behind.

"What have you done?" Hope backed away slowly, attempting to board up the crack that would allow the waterfall of feelings free. She couldn't feel for him. She wouldn't.

"Hope, I'm sorry." Bo shook his head, swallowing his guilt. He held his hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry."

Hope licked her lips. She couldn't wipe his kiss away.

"I overstepped." Bo sighed, "I just…."

"It's okay." Hope shrugged, "We're both angry. Abe's on a high horse. Neither one of us have ever taken authority well."

"Right." Bo nodded, "You were upset. I couldn't stand it. Old habits…."

Hope watched him as he trailed off. He turned away from her and ran a hand through his hair. Her heart softened a little as she watched him struggle with what to say.

"You were upset too," Hope whispered, "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for." Bo shrugged.

"You were right." Hope gulped.

Bo's heart skipped a beat. Honesty was on the table and she was about to wound him.

"I was willing to give up the case to not be around you." Hope whispered. Guilt shaded her eyes as she spoke. She knew she was hurting him, but dishonesty was what caused their downfall. She exhaled slowly, letting the truth hang in the air.

"You really hate me that much?" Bo asked quietly. Emotion constricted his throat.

"Of course I don't. I don't hate you Brady..." Hope shook her head, "I worked so hard to free myself from you Bo. After the divorce, I struggled to put you behind me. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I finally let myself move on and here you are…. I can't let us destroy everything I've worked so hard for just because of a few impulses. There are other people to think about here."

Bo's jaw clenched. Her words stung him, but he understood her reluctance to let him back into her daily life.

"I'm sorry." Hope whispered. She didn't want to admit out loud the power he had over her, but she wasn't a fool. Their flame was too deep and too strong. Deep down they both knew eventually they would fall victim to its allure.

"Hope." Bo whispered, "I'm not here to hurt you. Or destroy you. I would do anything for you. None of that has ever changed."

"I know that…" Hope nodded, "But that doesn't mean I don't need to protect myself... from you."

"It kills me that you can't be around me." Bo confessed, "I can't stand watching you look like you're ready to run for the hills any chance you get."

"Why does it kill you?" Hope questioned, "We're not married anymore Brady. You have Carly. I have Aiden. We're no longer connected. We've both moved on. It's been four years. We should just accept that our relationship failed."

Bo's shoulders slumped. If honesty was on the table, he could play a couple of cards too. He stared at her for a moment before speaking, "Four years….. Means nothing… I guess… deep down I always thought there would always be another chance for you and me."

"Bo…" Hope's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at him, "Why are you doing this? Why now? Aren't you happy?"

Bo shrugged once before answering softly, "No. Are you?"

Hope's heart stung. She swallowed slowly before answering, "I'm eternally sad Bo…. but I'm choosing to move on. You should too."

They stared at each other in sad silence. Thunder rolled in the distance as clouds began to slowly hide the afternoon sun.

"I think we need a break. I'm going home to shower. You should too. I'll meet you at the warehouse in a couple of hours." Hope spoke softly. Professionally.

Bo bit his lip. He silently watched her go. He'd gone from full on rage as a result of Abe's reprimand, to crushed from Hope's honesty, and everything in between. He felt emotionally hungover as he stood alone in the parking lot. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to think. A part of him thought maybe Hope was right, but the rest couldn't deny the way she made him feel. Being away from her for so long had made it easier to move on, but being around her now made it hard to remember why he gave up on her in the first place.


	9. Chapter 9

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Nine**

Bo welcomed hot spray from the shower head. He stood naked and confused, hungry for the hot water to pierce his skin. He attempted to sort through his thoughts. He didn't understand why he couldn't be around Hope without all the conflicting feelings. She was right. They ended. They were through. He had Carly. They had been doing such a good job at leading separate lives, while at the same time being there for their daughter. He sighed. Everything felt complicated. He never liked complicated.

"Hey,"

Bo's ears perked up at the sound of Carly's voice at the bathroom door. He welcomed the distraction, "Hey…."

Carly slowly approached the sliding glass door and peeked her head in. She surveyed him quietly, "You look awful. Want to talk about it?"

Bo bit his lip, "Just exhausted. Abe's riding my ass. I'm tired. I'm pissed. I'm hungry."

"Honey…" Carly frowned with empathy, "What can I do?"

Bo sighed, "Nothing. I have to go back to work."

"Are you serious?" Carly asked with clear disappointment, "Why? You've been gone all week. I just got home."

"I know." Bo shook his head, "Abe. He's being a jackass."

"This case must be really important to him." Carly offered in Abe's defense, "I wish you didn't have to go back to work… I miss you."

Bo turned to look at her. With all the chaos that Hope made him feel, Carly gave him a feeling of stability, "I miss you too."

She stared at him for a moment longer, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure," Bo lied. He could hear the thunder from the parking lot of the Salem P.D. getting closer. He wasn't okay. He wasn't okay at all.

* * *

Hope's hands shook as she tried to open the silverware drawer at the Horton house. The old house had an occasional drawer that jammed and this was one of them. She tugged and lifted. She attempted to push it back in. It opened, but not enough and it wouldn't budge. She jiggled it, trying in vein to get it free. Finally, Hope screamed as she kicked the drawer in frustration.

"Dammit!" Hope cried out as frustrated hot tears spilled onto her cheeks and the drawer fell loose to the floor. The crash scattered silverware everywhere, littering the kitchen with utensils.

"Hope." Jennifer whispered quietly. Her eyes were wide as she stared at her cousin, "What on Earth is the matter?"

Hope sighed in defeat as she stared helplessly back at Jennifer. She bent down to pick up some of the silver pieces in silence. Jennifer quietly joined her, placing a hand on Hope's to stop her.

"Seriously. What happened?" Jennifer asked softly.

Hope sat back on her heels. She folded her hands in her lap. She tried to sort through her thoughts, but the mess in her head was impossible. She finally whispered, "Bo kissed me."

"What?" Jennifer asked calmly, certain she heard incorrectly.

"Bo. Kissed. Me." Hope repeated. Her voice shook. She couldn't tell what end of the emotional scale it came from. She exhaled.

"He… he… just kissed you?!" Jennifer's eyes narrowed, "He kissed you! Out of the blue? Why? After all this time?! What about Carly? Did they break up? Was he drunk? What did he say? Did you kiss him back?!"

"Of course I kissed him back!" Hope whined in self loathing, "It's Bo. It's like a programmed response. He touches me and I don't know what planet I'm on. I hate myself. I can't do this. Not again."

"Ok. Slow down." Jennifer repositioned herself, choosing to sit with her legs crossed on the floor directly across from Hope, "Bo kissed you."

Hope nodded slowly. Her lips tingled as she thought about the way his lips had crushed hers. It infuriated her.

"What happened before that?" Jennifer asked.

"We were in trouble with Abe." Hope replied as she recounted the events of her day, "We were assigned a case together."

"Wait, what?!" Jennifer stopped her with a puzzled face.

"Yep." Hope raised her eyebrows, "Abe made Bo and I partners again. We have this big assignment and apparently it's a big deal to Abe because he came down hard on us today at the station. We aren't moving fast enough I guess and he wants something on his desk by the end of the week."

Jennifer processed this information as Hope paused to take a breath.

"Anyway, having something by the end of the week means Bo and I have to work around the clock. We were both mad. Mad at Abe. Mad at the case… the situation. I was worried about Ciara. So… I stormed off."

"And he came after you." Jennifer nodded in understanding, "And he kissed you."

Hope nodded. Her eyes drifted to the silverware scattered around them.

"So. What does this mean?" Jennifer asked.

"Nothing. It means nothing Jen," Hope huffed. She was determined to be right, "It was a kiss. It was nothing."

"But clearly it was." Jennifer smiled, "Or you wouldn't be so riled up about it."

Hope pressed her lips together, "I can't let him get to me."

"Is he trying to get to you?" Jennifer replied, "What are you so afraid of?"

"I love him." Hope whispered.

"Of course you do." Jennifer shrugged, "And I know he loves you too."

"But I can't love him anymore." Hope shook her head, "I'm terrified to go down that path again."

Jennifer reached for Hope's hand again and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "You and Bo have a lot of history. You've loved each other very much for a very long time."

Hope's eyes dropped to the floor, "Things are different now. We are with other people."

Jennifer offered a flat smile, "Are you okay with that? Is it what you really want?"

Hope squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn't okay. She wasn't okay at all, and deep down she knew what she really wanted was everything she was denying.


	10. Chapter 10

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Ten**

Hope fought nausea as she sat slumped next to Bo. He'd barely spoken a word all night. He wore hurt like a tattoo inked across his face. He was somber. Cold. Guilt and anxiety engulfed her. She stared out at the streets below, reminding herself to breathe every once in awhile. The silence made the night seem longer. She quietly resented the stakeout. Instead, she wished she could be tossing and turning in bed alone. She rubbed her eyes.

Bo chewed on the inside of his lip. His eyes stared out the window, but his mind was somewhere else. He felt numb. He tried to think of Carly and their future, but somehow the past always brought him back to square one. He wished he wasn't sitting next to Hope. She haunted him in the flesh. He had been so certain he was beyond all of this. He couldn't have been more wrong. Her broken voice lured him out of his silent torture.

"Bo." Hope whispered, "I'm sorry."

He hesitantly made eye contact with her, "Don't be. You were right."

The knots in Hope's stomach twisted tighter, "I wish I wasn't…."

Bo stared at her. Her eyes dropped to the floor. He didn't know what to make of her comment. He hesitated before speaking, "You wish you weren't right about what part?"

Hope pressed her lips together and swallowed a painful lump in her throat. She refused to make eye contact, "All of it."

Bo's eyebrows furrowed. He felt a knife twisting in his gut, "All of it?"

"All of it." Hope repeated. She finally brought her sad eyes up to meet his confused ones. She stared into the dark pools, finding a guarded and sorrow filled version of the man she once called her husband, "We don't work Bo… and I wish like hell every day that we did. Working with you is hard… and I hate it because I miss you. But we can't be friends Bo. We've only been partners again for a week and we've fallen back into a version of what we used to be. I wish I was wrong about all of it… but I'm not… and I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

Bo processed her words slowly. His nostrils flared as he attempted to keep his swimming emotions in check. She was so concerned about the power he had over her, but she forgot about the fact that she held just as much power over him.

"Do you hate that I kissed you today?" Bo asked quietly, fearful of her answer. He involuntarily stared at her lips, ready to hang on her every word.

"Bo…" Hope closed her eyes and let her head fall into her hands. She drew her knees up to her chest, "It doesn't matter."

"You kissed me back." Bo argued quietly ignoring her.

"Of course I did Bo!" Hope raised her voice and jumped to her feet in frustration at herself, "What did you expect?"

Bo stood, slightly startled by her outburst, "FancyFace…."

"Don't call me that." Hope ordered. Her back was to him. She faced the window. She stared down at the streets feeling trapped.

Bo stood directly behind her, "You kissed me back."

"What do you want from me Bo?" Hope sighed.

"I want to know why…" Bo stated vulnerably. She shivered as his voice caressed her ear.

"I kissed you back." Hope shrugged. She wished she could move away, but she couldn't. He was so close to her. He was so close he was almost touching her and she could feel every breath. Her body squirmed, "It was just a kiss. You kissed me first. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I wanted to kiss you." Bo replied calmly, "I'd do it again."

"Why?" Hope groaned, "Look where it landed us? We're back to this tangled up mess. I don't want this. You don't want this. Can't we move on and be happy?"

"Do you still love me?" Bo whispered directly into her ear.

Hope bit her lip. She could feel him touching her now. Her heart broke and tears threatened her, "That's not fair."

Bo spoke softly in a voice laced with emotion, "Because if you still love me and you kissed me back maybe you're not right."

Hope turned to face him in an attempted protest and instantly regretted it. She was trapped between the window and his body. He held her with his eyes. She couldn't look away, "Bo…"

"Maybe you're wrong." Bo whispered. He slowly reached up to caress her cheek, wishing they could rewind to four years ago, "Maybe you're wrong about all of it…"

Hope felt her lips gravitating toward his. It felt like slow motion, but she couldn't stop herself. She kissed him. Her lips slowly melted into his, uniting them together as one. Bo's hands found her waist, pulling her body closer to his. Fire erupted within both of them and their lips refused to separate. As they got lost in the exploration of each other's mouths, a muffled gunshot startled them both. Their kiss abruptly broke and they both turned to stare out the window.

On the pier a black SUV was parked near the warehouse they stood in. Hope grabbed her cell phone in an attempt to catch a picture of the license plate before it drove away. Bo searched for a body, but he didn't see one. Instead he saw two figures dressed in black running towards the vehicle Hope was trying to document. He snapped a few of his own shots in an attempt to I.D. the shooters. Both Bo and Hope's hearts pounded at the idea that this was finally a small break in the case that they needed.


	11. Chapter 11

Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Eleven

"Why don't you know what time the SUV pulled up?" Abe asked suspiciously, "You never saw any of these people get out of the vehicle? You only saw them running to get in and get away?"

Hope side eyed Bo and then stared at the floor. Bo chewed on the inside of his bottom lip and stared at the ceiling. Silence filled the room.

"Do I even want to know?" Abe rolled his eyes.

"We have more than what we stared with." Bo offered calmly, "We got a hit on the plates."

"We have an I.D. on the body. It was floating in the river." Hope added.

Abe nodded, "This might be the break we need."

Hope sighed with anticipated relief. She would give anything to lighten her work load. She was exhausted. Her body ached for sleep. Her eyes burned.

"So, what's next on your agenda?" Abe asked, "We've got to follow up on these leads."

"A nap…" Bo joked.

"It sounds like you already got one," Abe's eyes narrowed referring to Bo and Hope's inability to recall what time the SUV pulled up to the pier and how long it had been there.

Bo and Hope looked at each other. Hope decided silently she'd rather have her superior officer assume she fell asleep on the job than know she was making out with her ex-husband. She didn't like being reckless, but Bo had always had a way of bringing it out of her.

"At least follow up on one or the other." Abe sighed, "Then you can get some rest."

Hope stood, feeling like a Zombie. The adrenaline from hearing the gunshot had worn off. She walked slowly out of Abe's office. Bo followed, equally as drained but putting up a better front.

"Plates or Body?" Bo asked.

Hope's eyebrows raised, "Huh…?"

"You want to investigate the SUV plates or the dead body?" Bo clarified.

Hope attempted to think about it, but her brain felt like mush. As she stalled, familiar arms wrapped around her waist from behind. She felt a kiss on her temple and heard the greeting, "Hey baby…"

Hope spun around to see Aiden smiling at her, "Hey…"

"I didn't know you'd be here today." Aiden grinned, "I miss you."

Hope offered a tired smile, "I didn't know I'd be here today either."

Bo shifted his weight uncomfortably. Aiden noticed that Bo was still standing there, "What are you two up to?"

"Working a case," Bo stated matter of factly, "About to follow up on a lead."

Aiden stared at Bo and then slowly shifted his gaze to Hope. In her daze, she'd forgotten that she never told him Bo was her partner again.

"I thought you were working with Rafe?" Aiden asked confused.

Bo's eyes darted towards Hope. She looked at him, somewhat speechless.

"Hope?" Aiden prodded.

Hope looked at him, "What?"

"Why didn't you tell me? Were you trying to keep it a secret?" Aiden asked quietly.

Hope ran both hands through her hair. Flashes of kissing Bo swarmed her mind, "Look. I'm really tired. We have a lot of work to do. I'm sorry Aiden. I didn't mean to keep it from you… or for you to find out this way. I have to go. Can we talk later?"

Bo watched the exchange with furrowed brows. Hope refused to look at him. Instead she stared at the hurt that masked Aiden's eyes. She reached out to squeeze his hand, "I'm sorry."

She didn't know what else to say. She felt like she was treading water. Thoughts that didn't make sense exploded in her mind. She shook her head. The words couldn't make their way to her mouth. She was speechless again. She looked at Bo once, and then walked away.

Bo watched her for a minute, giving her a moment to attempt to process what was happening. He started to follow her, but before he could make it too far Aiden's voice stopped him.

"You still with Carly?" Aiden asked.

Bo turned to look at Aiden. He squirmed in insecurity, "Yeah…"

"Ok." Aiden nodded then went the opposite way down the hallway.

Bo shook his head. He didn't have time for this. He hurried to catch up to Hope. She sat quietly in the car, silently wishing she was in bed.

"Let's do the plates." Hope sighed when Bo slid into the driver's seat.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Bo asked.

Hope closed her eyes and let her head rest on the seat, "Bo, please don't."

"Why?"

"I'm tired. I'm not in the mood for this." Hope replied and then opened her eyes to meet his. Emotion suddenly hit her like a tidal wave and she knew Bo could see her battling for control.

Bo stared at her for a moment. He searched her eyes, understanding that she was about to break. He gave her left hand a gentle reassuring squeeze, "Plates it is…."

Hope swallowed the anxious lump in her throat and sighed with relief. She quickly wiped at the lone tear that escaped her eye before nodding, "Plates it is."


	12. Chapter 12

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twelve**

Bo and Hope sat in silence as Bo drove the car toward the Kiriakis mansion. This time they were headed to the mansion for pleasure, not business. The plates had been registered to a man with an address outside of Salem. When they arrived no one was home, and it looked like no one had ever lived there. The place was run down and vacant. The SUV was nowhere to be found.

Hope stared out the window, viciously fighting the sleep trying to claim her body. She was miserable. Her body was both mentally and physically drained. Bo felt the same, but he worried about her as he watched her from across the center console.

The vehicle came to a stop and Bo put it in park. They both walked slowly in drained silence to the front door of the Kiriakis mansion.

Maggie opened the door promptly with a half hearted smile, "Oh… both of you? I wasn't expecting to see you two together?"

"Surprise…." Hope mumbled.

Bo shot a glance Hope's way before shrugging and returning Maggie's half hearted smile.

"Well… As much as it is a joy to see the two of you here together, I have some bad news." Maggie sighed.

"What is it?" Bo asked.

Hope stared at Maggie expectantly.

"Ciara has a fever." Maggie frowned, "I think she's got the flu or something. Poor thing. She's been miserable all day… and she's been asking for both of you."

Hope's heart sank. She instantly resented her job, "Why didn't you call?"

"Well, I don't mind taking care of her. I didn't want to bother the two of you, and Victor said you were working on an important case." Maggie shrugged, "She was perfectly safe here."

"Where is she?" Hope asked.

"Upstairs. She's been sleeping for a couple of hours." Maggie began, but Hope brushed passed her and ran up the stairs. Maggie watched her with furrowed brows and then turned to Bo, "Is she okay?"

"She's going through a lot." Bo sighed, "We've had a rough week at work and little to no sleep. She's already been struggling with how much she's left Ciara with family. She's probably feeling extra guilty because she's sick and she wasn't here. She's a good detective, but she's a mom first."

Maggie smiled, "And she's a great one… You know her so well."

Bo bit his lip, "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"So you two are getting along?" Maggie asked with a hopeful tone.

Bo's eyes met hers and he hesitated, "We are."

"That's wonderful news." Maggie grinned.

Hope's footsteps could be heard on the stairs and she slowly appeared at the bottom with Ciara in her arms. Bo almost laughed. Ciara was still a little girl, but on the verge of getting too big for Hope's petite body to carry.

"Daddy?" Ciara mumbled when she saw him.

"Right here Little One," Bo smiled, and he offered to take Ciara from Hope, "Come here."

Ciara gladly went to her father and rested her head on his shoulder, "Daddy, please stay with me and mommy tonight."

Bo kissed the top of Ciara's head as his eyes trailed to Hope's. She felt Ciara's forehead and sighed. Ciara still had a fever.

"Please, mommy…" Ciara whined, "I want daddy to stay with us."

"Okay." Hope replied without hesitation. Bo looked at her with surprise.

Maggie's eyes sparkled as she watched the estranged family, "She hasn't been able to hold down any food, but I did manage a little bit of 7UP and some children's Tylenol about 2 hours ago."

"Thank you so much," Hope offered a flat smile, but embraced Maggie in a grateful hug.

* * *

At the Horton house, Bo gently placed Ciara in her bed. She'd fallen asleep in the car and he did his best not to wake her as he transported her from the SUV inside of the house.

"Daddy please don't go…" Ciara begged.

"Here baby," Hope coaxed, "Let's change into your pajamas."

"Where is Tommy Bear?" Ciara asked.

"He's right here." Bo handed the bear to his delirious daughter.

"I don't want to sleep in here," Ciara cried, "I want to sleep with you and daddy."

Hope's heart sank. She felt Ciara's forehead again. "I'm going to get some more medicine."

"Hope," Bo stopped her in the hallway, "You don't have to do this. I can leave after she falls asleep."

Hope searched his eyes, "We are her parents first Bo. She needs both of us. One parent just isn't enough."

"Okay." Bo nodded in agreement.

When Hope returned she took Ciara's temperature. At the beep she read out loud, "104.3"

"We've got a sick one alright." Bo's eyes widened.

Bo had dressed their daughter in her lightest summer pajamas while Hope was retrieving medicine and a thermometer.

"Mommy, I'm cold." Ciara cried.

"I know sweetie." Hope frowned, "Let's go. We need to get you in bed."

"Daddy!" Ciara wailed, flailing her arms out to reach for him.

"Ciara." Hope soothed, "Daddy is right here. He isn't going anywhere."

"Promise?" Ciara asked as she wiped hastily at her reddened eyes. Her face was flushed.

"I promise," Bo nodded. He picked her up and carried her to Hope's bedroom.

* * *

"Is everything okay?"

Hope normally would have jumped at the sound of Jennifer's unexpected voice, but she was so worried and exhausted her senses couldn't register a startled feeling, "Ciara is sick."

"Is there anything I can do?" Jennifer asked, "I heard her crying. She sounds miserable."

Hope shook her head, "No, Bo is here."

"Good." Jennifer nodded, "That's good. Let me know… if you guys need anything, or you need me to run to the store or something. I know you're both probably completely worn out."

"Thanks Jen.." Hope squeezed her hand, "I really appreciate it."

"Anytime," Jennifer smiled and turned to head back down the hallway to her own bedroom.

* * *

Hope walked into her room to find Bo sitting on the side of the bed facing Ciara. She was lying in the middle of the mattress with a cold wash cloth on her forehead fighting sleep.

"Do you need a shower or anything? Are you hungry?" Hope asked when she saw him. Her arms were crossed uncomfortably across her chest.

"FancyFace…" Bo shook his head, "Don't treat me like a guest. We're a team remember? Everything is going to be okay."

Hope sat on the other side of the bed and sighed, "I'm scared Bo."

He reached for her hand. They stared at their entwined hands for a moment in silence.

"I'm so exhausted Brady…" Hope confessed quietly. Her voice cracked with vulnerability.

"Go to sleep." Bo whispered softly.

Hope stared at their hands again and then searched his eyes. She struggled with her words, "Thank you…"

"For what?" Bo asked.

"For staying…" Hope whispered.

"Of course." Bo squeezed her hand and then looked at their sleeping daughter. He began to struggle with his own words, "I didn't just stay for her. I stayed for you."

Hope felt the prick of tears in her eyes, "Sometimes I feel so alone. I didn't want to feel that way tonight."

"You're not alone." Bo shook his head, "I'm right here. You have me."

Hope exhaled slowly. She nodded as she stared at the depth of sincerity in his eyes, "Thank you."

"Stop it Hope," Bo almost scolded, "I would do anything for you. I always have... and I always will. You're my family."

All Hope had ever wanted was for Bo to put his family first and here he was doing it. Reckless thoughts swarmed her mind, but she didn't have the energy to sort through them. She didn't even have the energy to talk anymore. She let her head find the pillow next to her sleeping daughter. She kissed Ciara's hand. Bo found the pillow on the opposite side of Ciara and sighed contently. He had never been more tired in his life, but in this moment he was content. In no time, the three of them were lost in a complicated dreamland as their bodies attempted to repair damage in a much needed sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Thirteen**

Hope stirred from a deep sleep to find Bo brushing the hair from her face. He stared back at her with a tender smile.

"Bo?" Hope croaked in confusion. Her throat was dry and the room was bright. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning," Bo chuckled.

"You're still here?" Hope asked searching his eyes. Sunlight poured through the window. She had no idea what time it was.

"I made a promise last night that I intend to keep," Bo replied. He brushed another strand of hair away from her eyes.

Hope smiled sheepishly, "I figured you had somewhere to be by now. What about the case? Carly?"

Bo shook his head, "I'm right where I need to be."

Hope felt her heart swell, and she wished someone would make it stop. They were in dangerous territory. Being with him last night and in this moment made her feel like they had never missed a beat.

"You okay?" Bo asked, noticing the flicker of apprehension in her eyes.

Hope nodded, "Yes. Where's Ciara?"

"Parked in front of the TV with her favorite princess movie. I thought she was getting to cool for those?" Bo wondered out loud.

"It's her guilty pleasure," Hope smiled, "How does she look?"

"Her fever broke. She managed a few crackers and some Pedialyte for breakfast." Bo replied, "I didn't want to wake you. Work has put you through the ringer."

"You're so good," Hope shrugged in amazement, "I'm grateful."

"What do you think of staying home with her today?" Bo asked, "In case her fever comes back? I don't really want to leave her with Ma like we planned. Plus, I don't want to overstep my boundaries here, but I really think you could use some mommy-daughter time."

Hope bit her lip to hide her smirk. He knew her all to well. As much as she normally would want to chase the lead they had on the dead body floating by the pier, she couldn't stand to leave her little girl sick at home. A part of her was sick of the case anyway. The long hours had been hard on her.

Bo stood and held his hands up in surrender, "You can do whatever you want…"

"I don't want you to go alone," Hope said honestly, "That worries me."

"Roman volunteered to sub in for you," Bo said, "I have back-up. Do you trust him?"

Hope almost laughed, "Of course I do… Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Bo nodded.

"You'll keep me posted?" Hope asked, finally forcing herself out of bed. She stood and stretched.

"Scouts honor." Bo nodded again. He watched her closely, admiring her in ways that he always used to as her husband.

"You better." Hope warned, "I'll walk you out."

Bo and Hope walked in comfortable silence down the stairs to the front door of the Horton house. Hope opened the door for Bo, but he stopped and turned to call out to Ciara in the living room, "Bye Little One."

"Bye Daddy…" Ciara called back. She waved at him from the couch with Jennifer.

"I'll be back to check on her later tonight." Bo said to Hope.

Hope nodded, "Ok."

"Ok." Bo nodded back.

They both suddenly felt awkward as they stared at each other in silence. A familiar longing hung in the air.

"Ok." Bo said again, jerking himself out of his daze. He turned to walk out the door.

"Bo…" Hope's soft voice instantly stopped him.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Hope smiled, "For everything."

Bo shrugged. He started to walk away, stopped, turned around and came back to hold Hope's face with both hands. He stared into her eyes before tilting her head gently forward and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. He lingered there for a moment before letting go of her, "I'll see you later."

Hope pressed her lips together and nodded as she watched him go. The moment took her back to the beginning, reminding her of the kissing booth. She felt her heart swell again.

"That was… uh…. interesting…" Jennifer teased, drawing Hope back to reality.

Hope swallowed, turned to face her cousin, and closed the front door.

"I don't know what you mean," Hope shrugged. Her attempt to be casual made Jennifer's jaw drop in amusement.

"Hope. Williams. Brady." Jennifer eyed her suspiciously, "Why are you lying to yourself?"

Hope sighed, "Because. I don't want to be disappointed when it all comes crashing down. We are parents. Our daughter was sick. That's the end of it. He was here to help me take care of our child. He's a great father. End of story. We're just friends."

"Friends don't make friends feel giddy…" Jennifer argued quietly. Her eyes sparkled, "Which you are clearly feeling giddy… and friends don't kiss you on the forehead."

"Bo has kissed me on my forehead long before we were ever romantically involved." Hope shot back, "It's not a crime. So what? He's affectionate. It was completely innocent."

"How many people does he go around town kissing on the forehead?" Jennifer asked trying not to laugh out loud.

Hope's resolve faded and she laughed, "Would you stop?!"

Jennifer shook her head in disbelief at Hope's denial.

"Please stop judging me…" Hope begged.

"I'm not judging you." Jennifer shook her head, "I'm not judging you at all. Have you guys talked about it?"

"Talked about what?" Hope asked innocently.

"Your relationship?" Jennifer sighed.

"Yeah. It's not happening." Hope stated matter of factly. She sounded as if she was trying to convince herself more than Jennifer.

"I think you have some thinking to do." Jennifer sighed, "That's all I'm going to say."

Hope was tired of thinking. She didn't want to think. All she'd been doing all week is thinking and wrestling her feelings and thoughts into something she could attempt to comprehend. Right now, she was feeling and what she was feeling was giddy and grateful. It was a treacherous cliff and she knew it, but instead of worrying she basked in the fact that her and Bo had been getting along for 48 hours straight. He was there for her when she needed him and he showed up for their daughter. It was all that mattered. She exhaled slowly.

"My main concern is my sick child. Today, I am a mother. I'm not going to worry about what is or what's not happening with Bo." Hope replied, "I'm done thinking."

"But as a mother, don't you feel you have the responsibility to sort out what's happening with her father?" Jennifer asked.

"Jen, we've been divorced and separated for four years. It took us this long to figure out how to get along. Now, because we are it means we're getting back together?" Hope argued defensively.

"Well. Yeah." Jennifer replied, "Because I watched the two of you. You're not just friends. I can read between the lines. Don't forget I was around the two of you for most of your married life. I know."

Deep down Hope knew Jennifer was right, but she rolled her eyes anyway. She had no idea what was going through Bo's mind. A part of her was still adamant that she couldn't let him get any closer because she'd fall right back into his arms and lose the identity she'd worked so hard to create.

"Look. Can we just… not?" Hope asked quietly, "Ciara is in the next room. I really don't want to argue."

"Ok." Jennifer surrendered, "But I'm not arguing with you to be a jerk. I'm arguing because I care and I want what is best for you and your family. I love all of you. I just want you to be happy."

"I know." Hope nodded, and then sighed, "Why does it all have to be so complicated?"

Jennifer shook her head, "I don't know, but it sucks."

Hope offered a flat smile, "Care to join us for princess movies?"

"Of course." Jennifer smiled back.

The two of them sandwiched Ciara with nurturing love and spent the rest of the day with light girl talk and laughter.


	14. Chapter 14

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Fourteen**

Hope rushed to the door in an effort to stop the demanding knocking that filled the house. She had just gotten Ciara back to sleep after the return of her fever and didn't want to wake her. She opened the door to find Aiden staring impatiently back at her.

"Aiden?" Hope asked confused, "Hi."

Aiden stared at her dumbfounded, "Hi? That's all you have to say to me?"

"Why didn't you call?" Hope asked, "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you."

"I have called. I've called a lot. You never answer. I never know where you are anymore and I'm still really unsettled about the fact that you lied to me." Aiden rushed through agitated words, "Why are you avoiding talking about this?"

"I'm not," Hope shook her head, "Aiden I'm sorry. Ciara is sick, and I haven't really been thinking about anything else."

"Well can we talk now?" Aiden asked quietly. He looked sad and defeated.

"Sure." Hope nodded, "Let's go in the kitchen. She just fell asleep upstairs."

Hope led Aiden through the house and into the kitchen. She picked up the cup of tea that she had been in the process of making before Aiden started banging on her door.

"So. Let's have it." Aiden bluntly started, "Why did you lie?"

"I didn't lie." Hope shrugged, "I just didn't correct you."

Aiden's jaw dropped, "Are you kidding me?"

Hope almost winced. She sipped on her tea in an effort to hide it. She knew that he was right. The words sounded insane coming out of her mouth. She did lie, but she didn't want to admit it.

"Are you sleeping with him?" Aiden almost whispered.

"No." Hope answered quickly and then retaliated, "And this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you!"

"Don't you dare blame this on me." Aiden yelled, "I've done nothing but love you and offer to give you anything you could ever want. I could give you the moon and you're running around with HIM?!"

Hope felt bile in her throat. His words made her sick to her stomach and sent her into a rebellious rage she hadn't felt since she was a teenager, "I was assigned to be running around with him! I didn't choose this! My superior officer put us on a case. Big deal."

"Well it is a big deal when you don't share the news with me. You act like you have something to hide." Aiden shot back.

"Well I don't." Hope shrugged. Her heart raced. Her blood pressure increased as anger rushed through her veins. She couldn't believe they were having this fight.

To make matters worse, Bo walked cautiously through the kitchen door.

"Well isn't this just great…" Aiden scoffed, "Are you sure about that?"

"Hey." Bo said quietly, "I knocked. Jen let me in. We both heard yelling. Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine." Hope replied coolly.

"Is it Hope?" Aiden challenged, "What is he doing here?!"

"His daughter lives here!" Hope screamed, "Don't you dare try to question that."

"Whoa. Whoa." Bo's eyes widened, "FancyFace calm down. I can come back later."

"No." Hope spat defiantly.

"Hope we have a lot to talk about. I think Bo's idea is a great one." Aiden said evenly, "He should leave."

"Bo isn't leaving." Hope shook her head, "He is here to see our daughter. I will not stop him from doing so. You were never invited to parent her with us."

Aiden looked wounded and sick at the same time, but his anger remained the same.

"FancyFace," Bo said carefully, "I don't know what's going on but you're pretty fired up right now and I think you should think about what you say before you say it."

"Why does he keep calling you that?" Aiden sarcastically laughed, "Because you're screwing?"

"I'm done with this conversation." Hope spat back, "You can think what you want, but get out of my house."

"No. Hope. Stop," Aiden begged as he quickly switched gears, "Please. I just. I'm not finished. I have plans for us."

"Aiden, I'm not in the mood right now," Hope shook her head and stormed out of the kitchen.

Aiden stared at Bo, sizing him up and down, "I don't understand."

"Understand what?" Bo asked calmly.

"Why she would ever date, let alone marry a man like you." Aiden said in disgust, "I am so much better."

Bo shrugged, "I don't want to burst your bubble, but your kind has never been her type."

"She's mine." Aiden shook his head, "I'm going to marry her, and you don't stand a chance at getting her back."

"We'll see about that," Bo nodded cockily. He smiled at Aiden's insecurity.

"Are you saying that you're putting your hat in the ring?" Aiden asked in disbelief.

"When it comes to Hope, my hat is always in the ring." Bo replied evenly.

"What about Carly?" Aiden asked.

"She knows." Bo shrugged, "So run and tell her if you want. It won't hurt me any. In the meantime, I believe Hope asked you to leave. So, I'll walk you out."

"Fine." Aiden agreed, "But this isn't over. This is just the beginning. I love her. I can give her so much more than you ever could. I will win."

"Have a good night," Bo smiled as he closed the door. Bo debated, but decided to go after Hope. He walked slowly up the stairs in hopes that she'd had a moment to calm down. He found her pacing in her bedroom alone.

"Hey." Bo said softly.

Hope's heart sank in anticipation, "Hey."

She stopped pacing and stared at him. He approached her slowly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

She was tired of talking. Logic and reasoning were out the window. She felt impulsive. On a rebellious whim she marched towards Bo and kissed him with four years of pent up force. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. Bo accepted the kiss and deepened it.

Fire burned through Hope's body; one that had been dormant for too long. Her tongue sought his and he granted her access. Her hands untangled from his hair and hastily attempted to pull his t-shirt over his head.

It took every ounce of willpower to stop her, but he did, "Whoa. Hope."

Hope shook her head, fighting his hands.

"Hope." Bo repeated completely breathless, "What are you doing?"

"I want you." Hope replied, just as breathless.

"You're being reckless and impulsive." Bo warned, "You're upset."

"I don't care." Hope shook her head and kissed him again. Their tongues instantly tangled and Hope's fingers made their way to the zipper of Bo's pants. Bo felt delirious with desire for the woman he used to call his own. He couldn't believe they were about to let this happen. It was a terrible idea, but neither one of them could think straight enough to realize it.

Hope had managed to rid Bo of his shirt despite the fact that her lips had other priorities. She ripped herself away from Bo long enough to get her own shirt off. Bo took care of his own pants and then went after hers. He pushed her roughly back onto the bed, but it didn't phase her. She had never been more hungry for him.

He crawled on top of her with ease. They were completely naked. Body heat radiated around them as they tangled their eager bodies together.

"Hope." Bo tried one more time, barely capable of holding himself back.

Hope responded by grabbing his penis and guiding it inside of her. A seductive smile spread across her lips as satiation engulfed her. Bo lost it as she groaned with pleasure. It had been far too long. He couldn't put into words how good it felt to be inside of her.

His hips took on a mind of their own as he began to thrust into her. Her body clung to his like life support, eager for the delivery of each masterful stroke. He filled her to the brim, making each stroke that much more pleasurable.

"Oh my God…" Hope whined in anticipation and passion, "Bo…"

A part of Bo thought he'd never hear those words again. He couldn't believe he was touching her, let alone making love to her. He was done for.

"I can't…" Hope cried out softly, as she let herself go. Bo was grateful, he was so aroused that he couldn't hold it in for long.

When they were finished, Bo rolled over completely spent. He was sure he would wake up from a dream soon. Hope stared at the ceiling with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Wow." Bo managed to spit out between breaths

Hope almost laughed, "That has got to be the quickest we've ever been."

Bo rubbed his face, "Can't argue with that."

"I thought we'd be a little rusty." Hope sighed. She rolled over onto her side to look at him, still not comprehending what they'd just done. She was too caught up in the euphoria of orgasm.

"Are you okay?" Bo asked as he looked at her. As his mind returned to one that could function instead of one clouded with desire, concern filled him. It had been so long since she'd had a rebellious phase. In fact, he was sure she'd outgrown it long ago.

"I'm fine." Hope shrugged.

"I thought you didn't want this." Bo questioned quietly.

Hope shrugged again, "It's not like we've never done it before."

Bo laughed out loud, but still worried at how casual she was being. He let it go and pulled her close to him. She let herself be held. She knew panic would set in tomorrow, but tonight she let Bo make the world go away. Being held by him made her feel safe. She didn't care about the consequences or the fact that she'd just thrown away everything she'd been fighting for. Tomorrow was another day.


	15. Chapter 15

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Fifteen**

Bo rubbed his neck as he walked through his front door. The day had been a long one. He'd spent it with Roman on another wild goose chase. Hope had stayed home with Ciara, who still didn't feel well, but was better than she was two days prior. He sighed. Flashes of being intimate with Hope scalded his mind. Being with her made him feel so alive. He didn't realize until that moment that he had only been going through the motions. His life was grey, but Hope gave it color.

"We need to talk."

Carly's words hung densely in the air. She sat quietly in the chair by the fireplace. The living room was dark, with the exception of a table lamp. Bo had figured she was upstairs, but she'd been waiting for him. Watching him.

"What's up?" Bo asked, but he already knew.

"Hope." Carly spoke calmly.

"What about her?" Bo's voice was just as calm. He sat in the chair across from her.

"Where have you been?" Carly asked, "I know that you haven't been working this much."

"With Hope and Ciara." Bo replied honestly, "Ciara has been sick. She needed me. Hope needed me."

Carly bit her lip as a knowing tear slipped over onto her cheeks, "Hope needed you?"

"Yes." Bo nodded, "Our daughter was sick. She needed help. Ciara has two parents. We're a team."

"Is that all you are?" Carly asked quietly.

"Where is this coming from?" Bo asked avoiding the question. He saw the fear and hurt in her eyes. A part of him felt guilty, but he'd always been blunt about how Hope and Ciara were a priority to him.

"You and Hope have been spending a lot of time together." Carly exhaled her tension, "I know that it has been work related, but I also know that the second she wraps you around her finger you're a goner."

"Hope has never manipulated me." Bo argued quietly, "She isn't wrapping me around any of her fingers. She is my ex-wife, whom I loved and was married to for 27 years. We share 3 children. She isn't just someone I can abandon."

"But she needs you now…" Carly almost sobbed, "That's the whole reason your marriage crumbled. She was mad at you and she didn't need you, but I did… and you stepped in to save the day. You abandonded her then… Why can't you abandon her now?"

Bo stared at her. Carly was partially right. His stomach twisted. He didn't want to abandon Hope. If history repeated itself, he could abandon Hope, but never for long.

"You can't stand not being needed." Carly continued, "And she's Hope. I know that I can't compete with her. You love her, whether you want to say it out loud to my face or not. I know you do. You would drop everything for her at any time."

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I don't love her. I do." Bo sighed. He couldn't believe he was saying it out loud. He'd been fighting it for so long, but being with her physically had unleashed the feelings he'd tried so hard to forget. It was much easier when they were mad at each other, "Things are complicated."

Carly smiled through her quiet tears, "Just a little."

"What do you want me to say?" Bo asked, "I've always been up front about the fact that I want to be with you, but this is as much commitment as I can give you. I don't want marriage. I don't want kids. I'm not moving. This is it. This is me."

"I want you to say that if she wanted you back you'd say no…"

Silence hung in the air. Bo could hear his heart beat. He saw Hope's smile, her lips, her eyes. He saw her give birth to their children. He saw her walking down the aisle. He bit his lip, "I can't say that."

Carly covered her eyes, pressing firmly into them in an attempt to keep her tears from falling.

"Carly I'm sorry." Bo sighed in defeat, "You know I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry."

"I think I was naive in thinking you could ever give me more than half of you." Carly sighed slowly, "But looking at it now, it seems like I didn't even have half. Ever since she's been back in your orbit, you've been in another world."

"What are you saying." Bo asked, "What does this mean for us?"

Carly shrugged, "I don't know. Am I supposed to just wait around until she realizes that the past four years have been a terrible mistake?"

"I don't know what to say." Bo whispered. He was being honest. He didn't have a clue what was next for him and Hope. Picking up where they'd left off four years ago was out of the question. He was uncertain if Aiden was still in the picture. He was scared Hope was going to regret being with him, and soon he was going to be the one that was abandoned.

"You've been so distracted lately." Carly shook her head, "And I can tell it is more than work pre-occupying you."

"I've been wrestling with a lot of feelings." Bo admitted, "Work is stressful. The hours have been long. Ciara has been sick. I'm being honest here."

"I know." Carly nodded, "I'm not ready to end it… and maybe that makes me pathetic and stupid… but I'm ready to move out. I can't just sit at home wondering why you're not here. She's everywhere in this house, even though I'm the one who's lived here for the past four years. I'm constantly comparing myself to her and I can't take it anymore."

Bo swallowed the lump in his throat. He said nothing. Carly stood and approached him slowly. She kissed him lightly on the lips before making her way to the door.

"I'll call you." Carly spoke softly. She stared at his back for a moment before exiting the Brady home.

Bo leaned back in the chair. He stared at the ceiling, thankful for the dim lighting. He knew he should have ended it right there, but he was being a coward. He hated hurting her. She'd been there for him, but there was no denying he wanted Hope more.


	16. Chapter 16

Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Sixteen

It was a rainy fall morning in Salem. Bo shivered as he walked into the police station. His body was grateful to feel the heat of the indoors, but his heart froze anyway when he rounded the corner. Hope sat cheerily at her desk with a bouquet of flowers perched ominously beside her. He eyed them suspiciously.

"What are those?" Bo asked pointing to the beautiful roses.

"An apology from Aiden." Hope smiled at them, "Aren't they beautiful?"

Bo's eyebrows furrowed. He frowned.

"What?" Hope asked innocently.

"You were pretty mad at the guy." Bo recovered slowly, "Now everything is fine?"

"I don't know about fine." Hope shrugged, "But I'm letting him take me out to dinner and grovel."

"When?" Bo asked.

"Tonight, what's the big deal?" Hope questioned.

Bo looked around the station. There were too many ears in the room to say what he really wanted to say.

"Bo?" Hope prodded, "Is there a problem?"

"No." Bo huffed, "No problem."

Hope watched him storm out of the station. Her heart sank. She let him go. Sooner or later she'd have to deal with it, but she chose to push him away instead. She wasn't ready to deal with the consequences of her actions.

* * *

At dinner, Aiden gently caressed her hand from across the table. He smiled at her. She smiled back, but Aiden didn't notice that it didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm sorry for acting the way I did," Aiden sighed, "I'm embarrassed. I wish I could take it all back. I didn't realize how jealous of a person I can be."

"I'm sorry too." Hope agreed, "I was cruel. I've been so angry lately."

"How come?" Aiden asked quietly. He admired her in the candle light.

Hope shrugged. She knew exactly why her mood was constantly swinging, but she didn't want to talk about it. She couldn't talk about it. Instead, she pretended that everything was fine.

"I forgot just how feisty you can be." Aiden smiled at her, "Remind me never to fire you up like that again."

Hope chuckled, "I can't make any promises."

They each took a sip of wine as a moment of silence passed.

"Hope, I love you." Aiden spoke seriously, "You're always on my mind. I want to romance you every day for the rest of our lives. I could give you anything… I would die to give you anything you could ever want. You're the most amazing woman I've ever met."

Hope's heart rate increased and her stomach sank as she watched Aiden get down on one knee. The room started to spin. She pinched herself, wishing that it would wake her up. She stared at him in disbelief. She was sure it couldn't be real.

"Will you marry me?" Aiden asked with a sincere grin. He looked so dapper and charming.

Hope's heart clenched. A part of her wanted to vomit, another part of her told her to run. Her mind raced. Before she could form a logical thought, she whispered, "Yes."

Aiden smiled, stood to his feet and swept her out of her chair. He twirled her around, kissing her as he placed her on her feet. Hope's eyes widened as she watched him slip a beautiful diamond on her left ring finger.

"You've made me the happiest man in the world…" Aiden whispered. He pulled her close, kissing her again.

Hope forced her smile. She told herself she needed this. She told herself she should be happy. She was moving on. She should be proud and ecstatic that everything was falling into place. She told herself that marrying Aiden was a good decision. The new life she'd worked so hard for was at her fingertips. The corner of her eyes stung with unshed tears. She smiled through them, unwilling to admit they weren't happy ones. She tried to feel joy as she looked at the beautiful ring on her finger, but everything inside of her body told her it was wrong.


	17. Chapter 17

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Seventeen**

Hope walked through her front door with no feelings of sensation. She looked like a zombie. She felt numb. The night had been a blur. She sank back against the door and whispered, "What have I done?"

The house was quiet. Ciara was with Bo. As reality caught up to her, she instantly felt sick. She raced to the nearest bathroom and emptied the expensive dinner Aiden had just bought for her into the toilet. She exhaled slowly, trying to regain her bearings. She dabbed slowly at the sudden perspiration on her forehead. Her hands shook and she stared at them momentarily before clenching them into tiny fists. She brought her fists to her mouth in an attempt to keep control, and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

* * *

Upstairs Jennifer was in bed alone. She read a new book by one of her favorite journalist turned author by the light of her bedside lamp. A knock on her bedroom door, drew her attention away from the pages. She sat up, pushing the covers back slightly, "Come in…"

The door opened slowly and Hope appeared. She was pale. Her make-up smeared, but she still looked beautiful. Jennifer's jaw dropped. She had assumed Hope was working, but seeing her evening gown told her otherwise.

"Hope?" Jennifer questioned with concern. Her cousin looked distraught.

"Can I lie down?" Hope asked in a childlike voice. She didn't want to be alone. She felt as if she was having an out of body experience. She could swear she would wake up in a few minutes and everything would be okay.

"Of course…" Jennifer nodded. She pulled the covers back on the other side of the bed and waited.

Hope crawled in. She looked wounded, but Jennifer couldn't see any physical signs of harm. Hope lay on her side facing Jennifer. Jennifer mirrored her and did the same. She reached for her hand. They lay in silence for a moment, before Hope found the courage to speak.

"Aiden asked me to marry him…" Hope said slowly. She didn't sound like herself. She sounded far away. Distant.

"That's… wonderful!" Jennifer tried to be enthusiastic, but her attempt fell flat. Her eyes searched for the ring. She grabbed Hope's left hand, "You said yes?"

Hope pulled her left hand away to cover her mouth. Her first sob of the night slipped out of her mouth.

"Hope." Jennifer tucked a stray piece of hair behind Hope's ear. She continued to hold Hope's other hand as they lay together in Jennifer's bed, "What's going on? Why are you so upset?"

"I slept with Bo…" Hope hiccuped. She wiped angrily at her tears.

"You slept with Bo?" Jennifer repeated Hope's words, certain she misheard her, "Then why would you say yes to Aiden? Does Bo know?"

Hope couldn't speak. She could only shake her head. Everything inside of her burned.

"Why…" Jennifer struggled. She propped herself up on her elbows, "Why… I'm confused. Are you upset because you had sex with Bo or because you told Aiden you would marry him?" Jennifer was starting to ramble, but Hope was unresponsive so she continued, "You feel guilty? Ashamed? You don't know how to tell either of them? Just nod when I'm getting warmer..."

Hope was lying on her back staring at the ceiling. Her hands found her temples and she closed her eyes, "I had sex with Bo. And I liked it."

Jennifer bit her bottom lip to keep her laughter in, but a muffled snicker escaped her anyway. She covered her mouth with both hands.

Hope shot a glare her way, "It's not funny Jen… I'm such a screw up. I've made a huge mess. What's wrong with me?!"

Jennifer smiled, "Wait, I'm still stuck on the fact that you're surprised you liked having sex with Bo. Can we go back to that?"

Hope threw a pillow at Jennifer, successfully hitting her in the face, "I can't like having sex with Bo. Now all I think about is having sex with Bo!"

Jennifer fell into a fit of laughter. Hope sighed with frustration and threw a second pillow her cousin's way. She watched Jennifer fight for composure and a small smile tugged at her lips.

"Aiden is a good man, Jen…" Hope sighed, "I really want to like him. He's good to me. He's good to Ciara. It's time for me to move on. I thought I had."

"You can't like a man enough to marry him. You have to love him… and you have to want him." Jennifer looked at Hope with an empathetic stare, "You don't want him. You want Bo. You love Bo."

"The physical part has always been there for Bo and me… I can't just jump back into a relationship with him. There's no way we can pick up where we left off. It's been four years. We've changed." Hope sighed.

"You're not doing Aiden any favors pretending to be happy with him. Even if you don't get back together with Bo, you owe it to Aiden to let him find someone that loves him as much as he loves you…" Jennifer whispered.

Hope's stomach twisted again. Jennifer was right. She had dug a deep hole, and she cringed at how hard it was going to be to get out.

"Do you want to sleep in here tonight?" Jennifer asked.

Even though they were grown women, Jennifer had always felt more like a sister than a cousin to Hope. Their bond was deep. She smiled thankfully and nodded, "I'd like that."

Her mind drifted to the two men in her life. She was headed for a night of restless sleep, but the only person she had to blame was herself.


	18. Chapter 18

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Eighteen**

Hope was moving slowly as she made her way into the Salem P.D. She was tired. Her eyes were puffy from little sleep and too many tears. She was constantly at war with herself, but that was personal. She had a job to do. She tried to put on her professional cap as she rounded the corner, but Rafe and Bo caught her off guard.

"Congratulations." Rafe smiled. He handed her a cup of her favorite tea.

"What?" Hope asked confused. Her eyes noticed more flowers on her desk. She instantly resented them. She tore her eyes away from them. Her world stopped when she made eye contact with Bo standing in the corner with his arms crossed.

"Your fiance stopped by this morning," Bo said. His voice was cold. His eyes were hard, "He dropped off those flowers and shared the good news."

Hope slowly swallowed a lump in her throat. The lump was so large, it was painful, "Bo…"

"I'll be in the car. You can ride with me if you want. Or not. I don't care." Bo replied.

She watched him walk away from her. She glanced at Rafe, deciding that she didn't care if he read into the exchange between her and Bo, before chasing after him, "Bo, wait!"

"Bo, please!" Hope begged, forcing her legs to run.

Bo kept his back to her and managed to get in his SUV, slamming the door before she could get to him. She threw herself against the window, banging on it with clenched fists. He refused to look at her. Doing so would make it hurt even more. She ran around the front of the vehicle and opened the passenger side before he could lock the door.

"Bo, please…" Hope sighed. She was out of breath, "Can we talk? Don't be mad…"

Bo started the engine and put the car in drive.

"What are you doing?" Hope asked as she ran to jump into the moving SUV.

"Buckle up. We're on the clock." Bo ordered, ignoring Hope's question.

Hope did as she was told. She had no idea what their assignment was today. She hadn't had time to check. At this rate, she didn't care. She had other priorities.

They rode in silence for 40 minutes. Hope tried to think of the right things to say. Bo tried to swallow his pain. They both stared out at the road. Finally, Bo pulled into a motel parking lot on the opposite side of the river from where the warehouse stood.

"What are we doing here?" Hope questioned.

"Abe wants us to try a different spot." Bo replied shortly, "Stake-out from the opposite territory."

Hope nodded slowly in understanding. The other side of the river was Kiriakis territory. Now they sat in Dimera domain. She felt uneasy, but she followed Bo two steps behind his casual pace.

Once alone in a room, Hope peered out of the window. She carefully kept the curtains between herself and the outside world. They had a perfect view of the pier and the river. She saw a long night in their future, but she felt hopeful this location would be more fruitful than the warehouse. She glanced behind her to see Bo pacing across the room. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Brady…" Hope whispered. She went towards him, but his hands went up in the air stopping her in her tracks. He guarded himself from her.

"No." Bo spoke forcefully through clenched teeth, "You don't get to do this to me."

Tears instantly flooded her eyes. He turned away from her, unable to keep his composure but refusing to let her see him crumble.

Hope couldn't of hated herself more in that moment. She had hurt him in the worst way. Regardless of their past differences, seeing him hurt and knowing she was the cause of it killed her. She wanted to fix it. She reached for his shoulder, gently touching it. He jerked away from her and it broke her heart. She stepped away from him, feeling lost and defeated. She crossed her arms defensively over her chest in search of a little ounce of comfort.

Bo slowly turned to face her. His resolve was gone. He appeared vulnerable. He ached for her. He searched her eyes and found remorse and guilt. He stared at her lips. They started to move.

"Bo…" Hope whispered as tears slipped down her face, "I'm so sorry…"

He reached for her, impulse and desire taking precedence over his pain. He held her face with one hand, pulling it close to his. He gazed into her eyes, checking to see that they both shared an understanding of what was about to happen.

Hope's lips trembled as Bo placed a sensual, but emotionally charged kiss on them. She never wanted it to end. Her body instantly came alive. Her arms wrapped around him, one hand snaking into his hair and the other just desperate to have him close to her. Her skin was desperate for his touch. His tongue roamed her mouth slowly, making her weak at the knees. Their lips parted for only a moment, but their bodies never separated. They were both breathless as they searched each other's eyes.

Bo kissed her again, slowly backing her up to the wall. Arousal flooded Hope as Bo pinned her arms above her head. His masculinity intoxicated her as he overpowered her with physical force. His lips dropped to the heated skin of her neck. A quiet moan escaped Hope's lips as Bo's kisses wound her nerves tighter.

"Please Brady…" Hope whined as she struggled against him. She needed to see more of his skin. He dropped his hands to her waist and pulled her to him. They stumbled over each other's feet sending Bo flying backwards onto the bed. Hope bounced on top of him, continuing the desperate kissing frenzy.

Their hands found buttons and zippers, hastily discarding clothes to reveal flushed and heated skin. Bo rolled on top of Hope. His pride swelled as he gazed down at her. She was ready for him and beautiful as ever. He kissed her swollen lips once and then skillfully entered her.

Hope cried out in pleasure. She was so pleased at the feel of him pulsating inside of her. He hovered over her and gazed passionately into her eyes. She found nothing but love staring back at her. Tears threatened her, "Bo…"

He placed his index finger gently over her lips, "Shh…" and then placed a tender kiss on her forehead. He let his lips rest there before whispering, "I love you."

Hope squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from slipping out. Bo began to move slowly inside of her, drawing her back to arousal. She knew in that moment that he wasn't having sex with her. He was making love to her. He touched her in ways that stirred her soul. Their love was very much alive. After today, she knew she had no chance of walking away from him.


	19. Chapter 19

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Nineteen**

"You can't marry him…" Bo broke their silence. They were lying in bed still tangled up in sheets. Her head rested on his shoulder and her left hand on his chest. His eyes were staring at the sparkling ring on her finger. It made him nauseous.

Hope propped herself up on her elbows to look at him, "I know."

"You don't want to marry him?" Bo asked as sudden relief washed over him.

Hope's eyes fell and she shook her head in silence.

"Then why did you say yes?" Bo asked confused.

Hope bit her lip, lost in thought, "Because he loves me… He is charming. He's romantic. He gives me nice things."

"He has money…" Bo mumbled.

"Stop it," Hope rolled her eyes.

"That's not your type FancyFace," Bo sighed, "He doesn't challenge you. You're bored. He does whatever you say, whenever you say it. You're a trophy for his closet. Where's your adventure?"

"With you…" Hope whispered. She looked seriously into his eyes, "My adventure has always been with you."

Bo's heart swelled and a small smile rested on his lips. Their life together thus far had been one adventure after another. They challenged each other. They excited each other, and they made each other better.

"Aiden is ready to give me anything I could ever ask for, no matter the cost," Hope sighed, "But the more I think about it the more I realize that what I want is you."

Bo caressed her cheek, "I always want you FancyFace. I always have. I always will."

Hope pulled away from him, "Then why are we divorced?!"

The frustration was evident as she drew her knees to her chest.

"We messed up. We let our anger and mistrust get in the way. We didn't communicate." Bo said firmly, "I know that we need to work on that, but we both have to make the effort to try."

"You let Carly into our bed before my side was even cold…" Hope whispered. The hurt and resentment was clear.

Bo swallowed hard as emotion overwhelmed him, "I know that I hurt you Hope… but I promise you that all Carly did was keep me warm at night. I didn't want to be so lonely. I've been miserable without you FancyFace. I walk around without feelings. You… YOU give me life… You make me feel things. I made a mistake, and I wish I could take it back, but I can't. I'm sorry."

Hope hung on his every word. He was everything she'd ever wanted in a man. They'd both made mistakes, but her love for him remained the same.

"I'm scared Bo…" Hope replied softly. She leaned back into him, seeking the safety of his arms.

"Don't be scared," Bo reassured, "Our love was meant to be. Why else would we come back to each other after everything we've been through?"

"I'm scared because I love you so much…" Hope confessed, "My love for you consumes me. You're my compass… and if I lose you again, I don't know if I can take it. It was really hard on me Bo."

"It wasn't easy for me either you know," Bo sighed, "I know that I made it look otherwise, but Carly was just a familiar placeholder. She was there for me when I thought you were dead. She distracted me from the pain of losing you. I'm not saying that it makes it right. I'm just trying to explain myself."

"I know," Hope smiled and gently kissed his cheek.

"You're my life Hope." Bo shook his head in disbelief, "I regret the time that we've lost. I hate that we've done this to our kids."

"Me too," Hope nodded, "I've missed you so much."

Hope entwined their fingers and they were silent for a moment.

"How could we just throw away 27 years of marriage? Our lives?" Bo asked quietly, "Our family?"

"Because we're stubborn fools…" Hope bit her lip to hide a smile, but she was serious.

Bo chuckled once, "You can say that again."

They gazed into each other eyes. As they both got lost in familiar pools of brown and green, a commotion outside of their room drew their attention to the door. Hope instantly sat up, pulling the sheet defensively to her chest. Bo jumped out of bed, reaching for his clothes.

"Guess we should get to work, huh?" Bo mumbled as he pulled on his pants.

Hope did the same, and then they both went to opposite ends of the window to peer out from behind the curtain. Two groups of men stood in the parking lot. They could faintly hear the voices speaking to each other. Initially Bo thought it looked like a drug deal.

"Drugs?" Bo whispered quietly.

Hope's eyebrows furrowed, "Too many people... What's in the cargo box?"

"Looks pretty big... too big to be drugs..." Bo wanted a closer look, but they didn't have any better options.

"Guns." Hope replied.

"That's supposed to be going through no man's land." Bo disagreed.

"Since when does a Dimera play by the rules?" Hope questioned.

"Maybe Stephano is getting a kickback for letting it travel through his territory." Bo offered.

"Or maybe they're working together." Hope shrugged. She didn't recognize any of the faces, but the Dimera payroll had no boundaries.

"Why would they be doing a deal in broad daylight in a motel parking lot?" Bo wondered out loud.

Hope shrugged, "Maybe it's not the whole shipment. Maybe they're just working out the deal. Showing the product."

"Shit." Bo whispered as he jumped back away from the window and leaned against the wall. The curtain moved in the wake of his sudden movement. He cursed himself for being such an amateur.

"What?" Hope gasped.

"I think one of them saw me." Bo waved at her to get away from the window, "Get back."

Hope did as she was told. Her heart pounded in her chest as adrenaline began to course through her veins. They stared at each other, straining to hear the voices outside. There was nothing but silence.

Bo watched Hope. He knew her facial expressions too well, "Hope. No."

She threw a glance his way, but said nothing in response.

"No." Bo whispered louder.

Before Hope could peek out the window like she so desperately wanted to, repeated gunfire rang out. Bo and Hope both hit the floor. The window of their motel room shattered. Bullets flew through the walls destroying the room. As Bo took cover, the unmistakeable smell of iron teased his nostrils. He could smell blood. His eyes searched for Hope. She was in the corner. He crawled over to her.

"FancyFace," Bo barely spoke as he surveyed the gunshot wound to her left shoulder. Panic overwhelmed him.

"Get. Down." Hope demanded. Searing, hot, pain, shot through her.

"We've gotta move," Bo shook his head, "It's too dangerous here."

He couldn't stop staring at the bright red blood seeping through her shirt. His hands went to the wound, desperate to make it stop. Hope groaned in agony at the pain his touch inflicted on her.

Soon, the gunfire ceased. The silence was deafening. As Bo waited for a sign that he could move, footsteps could be heard coming towards them. Boots crunched on broken glass. Bo drew his gun. Hope struggled to breathe, but she drew her weapon too. Bo glanced at her, pissed and proud at the same time. Worry consumed him. He needed to stop her bleeding. As he fought with himself, the door of their hotel room was kicked open. Hope fired.

Bo stood and opened fire out of the broken window. Two of the men started to flee. Bo let them, and focused on the more immediate threat. Hope fired again, taking down two men from her place on the floor where she still bled. Her vision was beginning to blur.

Bo fired twice more. Five bodies lay on the floor. The shootout stopped once again. Bo surveyed the scene for any more signs of obvious danger before running back to Hope's side. He dialed the station from his cell phone, anxious to get help.

"Officer down." Bo screamed into the phone as if talking loud would get help to Hope's side sooner, "I repeat, Officer DOWN!"

"Brady..." Hope whispered quietly. Her eyes closed. She was pale.

"Hope." Bo shook her gently, "Dammit Hope. No."

He took off his over shirt and pressed it into her shoulder. He propped her head up in his lap, holding her body close to him. Her blood covered him, but he didn't care.

"Come on FancyFace..." Bo sighed, "Hang in there. You don't get to leave me. Not again."

Bo's heart sank with anticipation and subtle relief when he heard the first sounds of sirens in the distance. Bo willed them to go faster. He stared at Hope's chest. He watched it shallowly rise and fall. He felt sick to his stomach. By the looks of Hope's condition, they couldn't come fast enough.


	20. Chapter 20

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twenty**

Bo sat alone in a waiting room at Salem University Hospital. The reality of what had transpired that day was finally sinking in. He exhaled slowly as he rubbed his face with both hands. Emotion overcame him. He willed the tears to stay inside. He begged himself to stay in control. Without the distraction of doctors, nurses, lawyers, and police officers, Bo didn't have anything forcing him to keep it together. He rubbed his temples. Gunshots still rang in his ears.

"Hey."

Bo jumped at the sound of Carly's soft voice. He hastily wiped at a few of the tears that slipped down his cheek. He looked at her through tired, blood shot, eyes, "Hey."

Carly walked slowly over to him and sat in the chair beside him. The room was silent and unfriendly. A TV flickered random news images in the corner of the room. The lights were dim. It was late.

"How is she?" Carly asked as she looked him over with concern. Her voice seemed to shake a little.

Bo shook his head once, "I don't know. Still in surgery."

"She's going to make it." Carly reassured. She ran a hand through his messy hair.

An awkward silence fell over them as if they both didn't know what to say next. Bo's heart was heavy. Carly's was too, but for different reasons. She could see the writing on the wall. She kicked herself for waiting around to let it smack her in the face. Bo inhaled a shaky breath, searching for words. None of them seemed right. He finally looked at her with vulnerable and distraught eyes.

"If she doesn't, I don't know what I'm going to do." Bo whispered. The tears came again. He had no power over them this time, "This is all my fault."

"Why would you say that?" Carly asked confused, "It was a dangerous stake out. You couldn't have done anything different."

Bo bit his lip, "I let them see me. I moved the curtains. I gave away our location."

"Don't do this to yourself," Carly shook her head.

"They never would have opened fire if they hadn't seen me." Bo shook his head again, hating the memory of making eye contact with the stranger in the parking lot, "Hope wouldn't be lying on some operating table… fighting for her life… she… can't… she can't…. do this to me."

"Hey…" Carly reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze, "She's going to be fine. She's going to make it, and she's going to get better… and she's not going anywhere. Except maybe home with you."

Bo pulled his hand from hers and turned to look at her, "Carly."

"Don't." Carly shook her head calmly, but her voice shook, "Now isn't the time. You don't have to explain. I can see how much you love her Bo. It's written all over your face. You've been sleeping with her…"

Bo winced as Carly trailed off. He looked at the floor, unable to deny it. A part of him didn't care. He could only focus on the fact that Hope was in critical condition and he was scared for her life. He finally looked back at Carly. She wore a calm, supportive, expression, but he could see behind her armor. If his heart could break anymore than it already was, it would break in empathy for her. He couldn't muster the strength or the words to say anything he felt was appropriate for a goodbye.

"How?" Bo asked confused. He was certain no one knew about him and Hope. Then again, everyone knew about him and Hope. They were like two magnets. They could never stay apart for long.

"The way you were looking at her. The way you were touching her. I know you Bo. It's okay." Carly half smiled, "I knew this day would come. I'm an idiot for waiting around for it."

Bo exhaled forcefully, "I'm sorry."

Carly shook her head, "Don't be. The whole town's rooting for you. They always do."

Bo watched her stand. He never envisioned the end of them this way, but he never saw a future for them either.

"I'm here if you need anything. She's in really good care. She's going to make it." Carly reassured.

Bo prayed she was right. He felt like he couldn't hear those words enough to provide any tangible comfort. He wanted to see her. He wanted to hold her. The memory of watching the trauma team swarm her made his chest tight. He still wore her blood all over his soiled clothes and skin. He didn't have the heart to clean up. His heart was suck on an operating table.

"Bo?"

Bo turned to see Carly still standing in the doorway, "Yeah?"

"I hope you guys work it out." Carly nodded.

Bo tried to smile, but it hurt him too much, "Yeah, me too."

He watched her turn to leave as she let the tears out that she had been guarding so desperately. He let her go. He thought about what Carly had been to him. He was thankful, but no one could be Hope. He sent up a silent prayer, begging for another chance to make it right with her.


	21. Chapter 21

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twenty One**

Hope slowly opened her eyes to the consistent beeping of a heart monitor. Her breathing was shallow. She watched the green line spike with each beat of her heart on the monitor. Why was she here? She didn't know, and she didn't care. She couldn't remember. The nasal cannula in her nose forced oxygen into her lungs. It hurt to breathe, and the sound of the oxygen pouring into her body annoyed her. It made her want to rip it off. Confusion set in. Her eyes searched the room. It was dimly lit. She wasn't sure where she was or how she got there. She saw a man sleeping in a chair in the corner by the window, but her heart sank when it registered that it wasn't the man she was looking for. She winced as she tried to reposition herself. A wave of dizziness swept over her at the sudden movement. The dizzy spell was so strong, she leaned over to vomit over the side of the bed. Nothing came out, but she continued to dry heave. Hot searing pain shot through her left shoulder and chest. Her heart pounded erratically.

"Nurse!"

Hope's world was spinning. She didn't understand why someone was yelling. Her vision blurred. She tried to call out, but she couldn't find any words. The man from the corner was still screaming. He looked scared. She wanted him to stop. Suddenly she was swarmed by people. She didn't know them. She reached for her gun, but it wasn't there. Where was Bo? She had to find him. There had been too many bullets. She could still hear the gunshots. Was he hit? She didn't know. People were talking to her, but she didn't understand. She squeezed her eyes shut. She was certain it was a dream. When she opened them she expected to be back in the motel room. Her heart sank when she opened them to the same chaotic scene. She felt helpless.

"Help me…" She finally found the words. She tried to scream them, but her voice wouldn't work. It came out as a whisper. She tried again. She coughed and sputtered. She didn't understand why her body refused to do everything she asked of it. She was frustrated and the pain from all of her movements almost made her pass out.

"Hope." Aiden's voice came from the foot of the bed. He wore a panicked and desperate look, "Hope, please calm down. Let them help you. Please."

She stared at him blankly before screaming again. This time, it came out like she wanted it too. A primal cry erupted from her rib cage. The pain that accompanied it was relentless. She felt tears, but they didn't stop her. She was delusional. She fought the people swarming her, but her efforts were weak and fruitless. She found herself restrained. Panic made her thrash. She screamed again. The monitor alarmed repeatedly, signaling the hospital staff that her vital signs were abnormal.

"Help!"

As they forced an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, he appeared. Bo rushed to the doorway like he always had before when she needed someone to save her. She instantly relaxed back into her pillows. She wanted to reach for him, but her hands were restrained to her bed at her wrists. She jerked against them, desperate to touch him. She just wanted to make sure he was real.

"FancyFace," Bo almost smiled as he rushed towards her. He looked disheveled and exhausted, but he was really standing there.

She closed her eyes relishing the sound of his voice and the mere presence of his body in the room. He would save her from these people. Her body ached, bringing her back to reality. She opened her eyes again. He was talking to the people manhandling her, but she couldn't make out the words. She felt sleepy. She fought the drowsiness. She didn't want him to leave her there alone. She watched his lips, trying to make out the words falling from them.

"She's having a bad reaction to the anesthesia," a nurse told him.

"She's going to be okay?" Bo asked. He reached for Hope's restrained hand and squeezed it tightly.

"We're going to give her a sedative," The nurse replied, "She's going to do more harm to herself than good thrashing around in here. The surgery was extensive so she needs to rest."

"Please don't…" Bo begged, "Don't give her a sedative."

"She's out of control sir," the nurse replied, "Her vitals are erratic. She's adding trauma to her surgical site."

"Please." Bo repeated, "I'll stay here. Look, she's cooperating. I've been waiting for 13 hours to see her."

"You can't be here." Aiden interrupted, "Get out."

"The hell I can't." Bo replied flatly.

"Please don't," the nurse said sharply to both of them, "The last thing I need in this room right now is the two of you starting a fight. My priority is my patient, and I apologize Mr. Jennings, but this man is keeping my patient calm. Staying calm is vital to her recovery."

Bo looked at Hope. She was in and out of consciousness, but she held tightly to his hand. She was no longer thrashing and her vital signs were on the way back to normal.

"Is she going to be okay?" Bo asked again.

The nurse nodded, "Her surgery was long. She lost a lot of blood in the field and the bullet went through the upper lobe of her left lung. It collapsed. She's groggy and confused now, but she was under general anesthesia for a long time. She'll come out of it. Her vitals are stable. Her body suffered a serious trauma, but the doctor seems very hopeful for a good recovery. She's very lucky EMS arrived when they did. I'm hopeful she'll regain full use of her lung, shoulder, and upper arm."

Bo exhaled slowly with relief. He felt tears sting the corner of his eyes. She was going to be okay. He looked her over once. She still looked extremely pale, but she was beautiful and she was alive. He thanked God.

The nurse looked him over, "Can I offer you fresh clothes, or something to eat or drink? A warm blanket?"

Bo shook his head, "I just need to be right here. Thank you."

The nurse nodded, "I'll hold the sedative. She seems to be doing much better."

"Thank you," Bo smiled gratefully. He sat in the chair next to Hope's bed. He gently brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her face. She involuntarily leaned into his touch. He leaned over and kissed her restrained hand that he held. His lips rested on the back of her hand as emotion caught up to him. He choked on a sob. Seeing her alive was overwhelming. He had been so scared that he was going to lose her once and for all.

"Stop kissing her." Aiden demanded. His voice shook. He was flustered.

"Don't tell me what to do with my wife." Bo glared at him. He was defensive and protective, "I've tried to be respectful all night. I stayed away, in the waiting room… I waited patiently for someone to tell me what the hell was going on. I'm done. This is where I belong, so back the hell off."

"She doesn't want you. She's not your wife. She's my fiancé," Aiden whispered, "She's delusional. She's had too many medications. This isn't how she really feels."

Bo stared at Aiden. He could see that Aiden was intent on having a pissing contest. Bo stood. He was sure Hope would kill him later, but he didn't care as the word vomit fell out of his mouth uncontrollably, "She wasn't delusional yesterday afternoon when I undressed her...Or the day you two got in that big fight and she asked me into her bed."

Aiden was clearly blindsided. Bo enjoyed the surprised look on his face more than he thought he should.

"You're lying." Aiden shook his head, "She wouldn't."

"She did." Bo replied, "She's mine. She always has been. She always will be. Get out."

Aiden bit his lip. He spun slowly on his heel to walk towards the door. He was shaking with hurt and anger. He paused momentarily at the doorframe, attempting to gather the racing thoughts that swarmed him.

To Bo's surprise, Aiden turned back around and threw a punch to Bo's left cheek.

"This isn't over," Aiden spat, before he turned to sulk out of the room.

Bo let him go. He didn't care. He just wanted to be with Hope. She was going to kill him for telling Aiden they had been sleeping together, but he was just thankful she was going to be alive enough to do so. His soiled clothes and bloodied skin were distant concerns. He needed to shower and shave. He hadn't had anything to eat or drink, but his body didn't register hunger or thirst. His left cheek throbbed, but his only concern lay fast asleep in the bed in front of him. He lay his head on Hope's bed. He finally felt calm enough to sleep. He watched her breathe, soothed by the life her body proclaimed. Slowly but surely, his heavy eyes succumbed to the sleep his body so desperately needed. Tomorrow was another day. Bo was thankful that the 24 hour nightmare he was living was finally coming to an end.


	22. Chapter 22

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twenty Two**

Bo jerked from sleep when he felt Hope stirring from her own medicated slumber. He watched her instinctively struggle against the restraints before he coaxed her from sleep.

"FancyFace?" Bo whispered. He grabbed her restrained hand, attempting to calm it, "Hey… Wake up."

Her eyes opened. She was clearly more alert and oriented this time around, but it didn't stop the confusion that set in when her eyes found the restraints on her wrists.

"It's okay," Bo reassured.

"Bo?" Hope questioned. She pulled against them.

"Stop." Bo ordered softly, "I'll untie them if you promise to calm down."

"Calm down?" Hope questioned. She searched his eyes, "I'm tied to a bed Brady."

"Well, someone wouldn't cooperate earlier." Bo sighed as he quietly untied one of her wrists.

"What are you talking about?" Hope searched her groggy memory. She didn't find much.

"You woke up earlier and had a thrashing fit. You were delusional. The nurse said you were experiencing some side effects of the anesthesia. They weren't too keen on you re-opening that hole in your chest, so they tied you up." Bo stared into her eyes, happy to see them open. He kissed her free hand, "How do you feel?"

Hope stared at him and smiled, "I feel fine. I'm glad you're okay."

"Glad **_I'M _**okay?" Bo scoffed, "You're the one who took the bullet. I've been a wreck all night."

"I'm fine Brady," Hope smiled again. She had pain, but she didn't let it phase her, "That's the best date I've had in a long time."

Bo's eyes popped open, "You've got a pretty skewed idea of a great date FancyFace."

Hope almost laughed, but the radiating pain stopped her, "I'm serious Bo."

Bo kissed her forehead, "I thought I was going to lose you."

Hope closed her eyes and leaned into his kiss, "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

They held each other for a moment, both thankful for the opportunity to share the intimate moment alone together.

"I have something to tell you." Bo sighed. He pulled away from her as his eyes dropped to the floor.

"What?" Hope asked. She was calm. She watched him closely.

"Carly and I are no longer together." Bo began, "And I may have got into a fight with Aiden last night and opened my big mouth about us."

Hope continued to watch him, unsure of how to feel about any of the information.

"I'm sorry, Hope." Bo sighed. He crossed his arms over his chest, "He was being a jerk and I lost my temper."

She stared at him, noticing for the first time that his face was lightly bruised, "You physically fought him?"

Bo shook his head, "No. I said some things. Probably inappropriate things. He hit me."

Hope tried to sit up and regretted it. She was enthralled by this information, "You didn't hit him back?"

Bo shook his head, "It wasn't my place to tell him about us. I just wanted him to leave."

Hope sighed. He was right. It wasn't his place, but what was done was done, "I guess he had to find out sooner or later."

"He didn't take if very well. I think I made a bigger mess for you." Bo replied with guilt.

"How is Carly?" Hope asked quietly changing the subject.

Bo's eyes shot up to stare at her. Her question caught him off guard. He shrugged, "Fine I guess."

Hope's eyebrows furrowed, "That's all you have to say?"

Bo shrugged again, "She knew…"

"She knew?" Hope asked confused.

"She wasn't surprised." Bo replied, "She knew as soon as we started working together that it was over."

"But…" Hope shook her head in protest.

"She knows I never stopped loving you Hope. It was just a matter of time. She knew….and she was understanding." Bo replied.

"Then why did she crawl into my bed in the first place?" Hope argued, suddenly irritated that Carly was so fine with the situation.

Bo saw Hope's bitter frustration and immediately felt remorse, "That's my fault FancyFace."

Hope exhaled slowly. She wasn't in the mood for this conversation. She didn't want to have that fight. She told him she was fine, but she was actually tired. Her body ached as it attempted to repair itself. She wanted to move, but moving was painful. She was thirsty. Her lips felt dry and her eyes felt puffy. Maybe she needed more pain medicine.

"I'm sorry," Bo repeated, drawing her out of her thoughts.

Hope stared at him for the longest time before shrugging, "I know. I love you."

Bo kissed her lips softly, "I love you too."

She watched him stand from the chair, "I'm going to get your nurse. She should know you're awake."

Hope nodded and relaxed back into the pillows. Frustrated, tired, and irritated or not, she loved that man. She watched him leave the room. She was thankful to have him back. Deep down she knew no other man could take care of her the way Bo did. She sighed. She had a long recovery ahead of her, but at least she would have Bo by her side.


	23. Chapter 23

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twenty Three**

Hope stewed in the kitchen of the Horton house. She mindlessly flipped through several days worth of mail, but she wasn't really reading any of the envelops. After being benched by Abe from the case she and Bo had been working on, she stormed out of the police station. Bo had tried to stop her, but she blew past him. She didn't want to admit that he'd been right about the fact that going straight to work from the hospital had been a bad idea. She exhaled slowly and looked around the kitchen. The house was empty. Ciara was at school. She ached to see her. It had been several days since she'd last held her.

The doorbell rang, drawing Hope out her self pity. She gently readjusted her left arm in the sling she was being forced to wear. She grimaced a little as she walked towards the front door. When she opened it, she was immediately left speechless at the sight of Aiden standing on the other side. He held a beautiful bouquet of flowers and wore an odd smile.

"I'm glad to know my fiance has been released from the hospital." Aiden said flatly. He shoved the flowers towards her chest.

Hope's eyebrows furrowed. She reluctantly took the flowers, but she didn't know what to say. She stepped aside, letting him through the door and attempting to hide the discomfort her chest and shoulder constantly provided her.

"I find it funny that I had to actually go to the hospital to see you to find out that you had already been discharged." Aiden sighed. He sounded like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at a moments notice.

"I.. I…" Hope stuttered. She felt overwhelmed as she tried to process everything that had happened in the past couple of days, "I'm sorry Aiden. You didn't deserve that."

"No." Aiden agreed, "No, I didn't."

Hope's eyes fell to the flowers she held, "The flowers are beautiful. Thank you."

Aiden stared at her. She couldn't read him. She felt guilty.

"Did you sleep with him?" Aiden asked quietly.

Hope closed her eyes, willing this conversation away. She instantly resented Bo for telling him.

"What?" Aiden laughed, "You don't want to say it out loud?"

"Aiden." Hope sighed, trying to gather the right words to say.

"Say it!" Aiden yelled, startling Hope.

She jumped at the loud strain in his voice and instinctively stepped away from him. She swallowed a lump in her throat, suddenly nervous, "Yes."

Aiden nodded, "Yes? Yes, you slept with him?"

Hope nodded and whispered, "Aiden, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Aiden began to pace, "You slept with another man Hope. How many times? Huh? How many? For how long? You accepted my proposal for Christ's sake!"

Hope bit her lip. She knew she had been wrong to say yes to his proposal. She'd never wanted to marry him in the first place, but she couldn't take back the mistake.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?!" Aiden roared, before slapping Hope across the face.

Hope reeled backwards in shock. The sting that erupted across her cheek horrified her, "Don't ever touch me like that again."

Aiden pushed her backwards, slamming her into the wall and causing her to drop the bouquet of flowers she held. Searing pain shot up her spine in protest. He pinned her there, with one hand on her throat and one hand on her free wrist, "I'll touch you whenever and however I want. You're supposed to be my wife remember?"

"I'm not going to marry you," Hope spat angrily as she glared into his eyes. She could smell alcohol on his breath. Her skin crawled.

"I was wondering when you were going to tell me…" Aiden laughed into her ear. He licked and sucked on the tender skin of her neck. Hope squirmed, wishing her left arm could help her defend herself.

"What's the matter?" Aiden pulled back, "You sleep with Bo, and now I'm undesirable? You can't stand it when I touch you?"

Hope stared icily at him, "No. I can't stand it when you touch me. Get off of me."

Aiden tightened his grip on her throat, causing Hope to struggle against him, "I love it when you play hard to get."

Hope whimpered when he forcefully kissed her. She panicked, kneeing him as hard as she could in the groin. Aiden doubled over.

"You bitch."

Hope ran from him, but he chased not far behind. He grabbed her hair, stopping her dead in her tracks. He violently pulled her to his chest by her hair, and wrapped his other arm around her waist. She was trapped again.

"Give me the apology I deserve." Aiden ordered.

"I'm sorry." Hope's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. She was terrified and angry at the same time, "I never meant to hurt you, Aiden. I swear. I'm sorry for wasting your time. You can have the ring back. Please. Let me go. I'm sorry."

"Spoiled little rich girl." Aiden mumbled. He forced her to her knees.

Hope could feel the tears brewing. She refused to acknowledge them. She couldn't let him win.

"Why Bo?" Aiden wondered, "That worthless blue collar bastard excuse of a man? Is more desirable than me? In what world?"

Fire erupted in Hope's chest, "He's more of a man than you'll ever be."

Aiden hit her again. This time with his fist.

Hope spat blood on the floor and stumbled to her feet before turning to face him, "I swear to God, if you don't get out of my house, I will get my gun and I will shoot you dead."

"Big bad Hope…" Aiden shook his head, "You're not going to call Bo Brady to save the day?"

"Get out." Hope screamed.

"You're going to kill me?" Aiden laughed.

"Yes." Hope wiped more blood from her nose, "And no one will care or question it. The law is on my side you son of a bitch. Get out of my house."

Aiden's anger faded to hurt, "This isn't over."

"It is over." Hope announced, "Don't ever come near me again. I don't want to see you. I don't want to speak to you, and I sure as hell don't want to marry you. We're done. We're through. You've ruined any chance you ever thought you had! I'll have the ring delivered to you. If you so much as touch my shoulder in passing I will call the cops. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Aiden's voice shook. He'd lost his temper. The secret he'd tried so hard to keep was now in the open. Remorse and defeat filled him. The severity of what he'd just done was hitting him like a freight train, "Hope, I'm sorry. Please. Don't."

"Don't?!" Hope sarcastically questioned, "YOU DON'T." She didn't recognize the man in front of her. He was drunk. He went from angry and abusive, to hurt and begging. Her heart pounded out of fear that he would figure out she really didn't have a gun. Her gun was taken from her the day she fired it in the shoot out as evidence. She played her hand anyway and wore her poker face. Her hands shook and her body throbbed in pain as she stood over him. He cowered on his knees at her feet, crying and begging her to stay with him.

"Aiden." Hope whispered. Her own tears threatening to spill over, "Please. Leave."

He stood, gently reaching out to her but she defensively jerked away.

"I'm sorry that I hit you." Aiden whispered. He stared at the physical evidence all over her face.

"Twice." Hope clarified, "You hit me twice. Which is why we won't be seeing each other any more. Now. Please leave, or I'm calling the police."

"I love you." Aiden announced, "I'll give you anything you want."

Hope sighed, "I don't love you Aiden, and I have everything I need. Thank you."

"You love him?" Aiden asked quietly.

"Yes." Hope nodded. She wasn't afraid to say it. She wanted to shout it from the rooftops. She braced for another physical blow from the man she used to think she loved. He didn't bother. Instead, he nodded silently and sulked slowly out of the living room. She watched him go, silently begging God not to let Aiden change his mind. When she heard the front door close she raced towards it and locked the dead bolt. She breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that she was finally alone. Then she turned slowly and leaned back on the door for support as she slowly sank to the floor. A sudden round of retrospective tears towards the reality of what had just happened to her rattled her to her core. She let them out. She sobbed quietly on the floor of the Horton house foyer alone.


	24. Chapter 24

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twenty Four**

Bo rubbed his eyes after closing the door to Ciara's bedroom as quietly as he could. He sighed. He was exhausted. The stress of the shoot out, Hope being in the hospital, work, and parenting was catching up to him. He still felt guilty for treating Carly the way he did, but he couldn't change the way he felt. It was time for him to work it out with the woman who stole his heart 30 years ago. He wondered if Hope had tried to call him back yet. He'd tried her several times earlier in the day, but assumed she was blowing him off because of Abe taking her off of the case. He saw both sides, but deep down he didn't want her anywhere near the case anymore. He wanted to protect her. She never did take his need to do so sitting down. They butted heads.

He cringed when he heard the door bell ring. Ciara had been very resistant to bedtime, and he wasn't in the mood for round two. He glanced at his watch. It was 9:30PM. Curious at who would visit so late in the evening, he descended the stairs two at a time to answer the door.

His heart sank when he saw an unrecognizable Hope standing meekly on the front porch. She stared at him with broken and bloodshot eyes. Her face was bruised and swollen. Blood crusted her nose, lips, and clothes. Her hair was tousled, and it was clear that she had been crying.

"FancyFace," Bo panicked as he went to her, "What the…?"

"I'm sorry I didn't call.." Hope interrupted. She spoke quietly. Her eyes were unable to meet his. Guilt and shame masked her face. She shifted uncomfortably in her sling.

"Hope." Bo's concern for her dumbfounded him, "What happened?"

Her face contorted in pain as she tried to keep the tears from falling. She shook her head. It was all still a blur. She never saw it coming.

"Come inside." Bo demanded softly. He reached around her to guide her inside, but she flinched in pain at his touch. Bo's worry increased.

She hastily wiped at her tears, embarrassed that they were even falling in the first place. She didn't know who she was in this moment. She searched for strength. She fought for control, but instead she just felt broken.

"Hope, you're scaring me." Bo spoke slowly. He surveyed her condition repeatedly, "Talk to me."

"Aiden." Hope hiccuped. She fought for composure as spoke. She didn't want to say it out loud, "Hit me."

"Did you call the cops? Why didn't you call me? Where is that bastard?" Bo demanded as fury instantly erupted inside of him, "He's a dead man." He raced towards the phone on table, ready to dial the police station.

"Bo, no." Hope ordered, "Please. Don't."

"FancyFace." Bo argued, "You can't be serious. Have you seen yourself? Look what he's done to you. This is not okay."

"He was drunk. He's not right." Hope defended. She shook her head again, "Please. I don't want to make this a big deal."

"It already is a big deal." Bo shook his head, "A man has hurt you. I'm going to kill him."

A new round of tears erupted from Hope's puffy eyes. It was too much for her to think about. How she could ever fall for a man that was capable of such violent, jealous, and controlling behavior was disturbing to her, "Will you hold me?"

Bo's heart broke. He couldn't stand to see her this way. She was visibly wounded and emotionally vulnerable. He instantly opened his arms to her, allowing her the safety and comfort of his chest. He scooped her up into his lap and gently rocked her back and forth on the couch as she sobbed.

When the tears had run their course, Hope sheepishly pulled away from him, just enough to look up at him, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Bo asked. He tucked her hair behind her ear as he patiently waited for a response.

She shrugged slowly with her good shoulder, "I'm not ready to do anything about Aiden. He left. He's gone. I don't know where he is, but he isn't here. I don't want to think about it anymore. Not tonight."

Bo's jaw clenched. He disagreed, but tried to be respectful of her wants and needs, "I'm upset you didn't call me."

Hope nodded, "I know. I'm sorry."

"You didn't trust me?" Bo questioned.

"It wasn't that." Hope shook her head, "I was embarrassed and in denial that it happened. I didn't want to go out in public looking like this in the daylight." She paused, afraid to say what was really on her mind, "I was scared to let you see me this way."

"Hope," Bo sighed, "Never in my life have I never wanted to see you. I don't care what you look like. He could have killed you."

Hope didn't want to acknowledge the flicker of fear that Bo's statement aroused in her.

"I think you should stay here," Bo continued, "I don't want you to be alone."

Hope's eyes fell to the floor again.

"This doesn't have to be about us." Bo sighed, "This is about your safety. The guest room is yours. Don't fight me on this."

Thankful tears welled up in Hope's eyes. She nodded in agreement, "I'm so tired Bo. Everything hurts."

"Let's get you cleaned up." Bo spoke softly as he stood with her in his arms. She relaxed into his strong hold and let her head fall to his shoulder. He carried her upstairs to the bathroom and gently put her on her feet. He leaned over to turn on the warm water before disappearing for a moment. Hope stared at the walls, feeling foreign in the house she used to call her own. Bo returned with bath salts.

"My favorite?" Hope questioned with a surprised smile, "Where did you get those?"

"I have a lot of your favorite things hidden around this house," Bo shrugged sheepishly, He poured some of the salts into the steaming water, "It's all yours."

Hope swallowed hard as he started to walk past her, "Bo?"

"Yeah?" Bo stopped and turned around at the doorway.

Hope exhaled slowly, "I don't think I can do it by myself."

Bo's heart hurt for her. He could see she was visibly uncomfortable and embarrassed to ask for help. He stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, "I'll help you."

Hope nodded. She hesitantly attempted to try to undress herself. She didn't get very far. Bo gently assisted her, careful not to cause added pain. He caught her face flushing and her eyes searching the room in attempt to fight her embarrassment.

"Hey," Bo caught her chin and forced her to look at him, "It's okay. Everything is fine. I want to do this."

Hope nodded. She was naked, bruised, and vulnerable. She felt hideous. Everything throbbed.

Bo guided her down into the hot water and helped her lean back against the wall. She sank low into the comforting liquid and allowed her muscles to relax in the heat. Bo reached for a washcloth and soaked it in the water. Silence fell over them. Bo fought his rage. Hope resisted shame. She stared at him. He gently used the washcloth he held to wipe her face. She grimaced, but allowed him to clean her up. When he was finished, he put shampoo in his hands and slowly washed her hair. He massaged her scalp gently.

"What are you thinking?" Hope asked quietly breaking their silence.

"How much I can't stand the fact that another man laid a hand on my wife." Bo stated matter of factly. He stared at her hair, continuing his task at hand.

Hope's heart swelled. She felt safe. Bo helped her dunk her hair into the water to rinse it.

"I want you to soak. I'll be right back," Bo announced as he stood to dry his hands.

Hope watched him go in silence, but gratitude filled her heart. She relaxed in the water, letting her muscles release the tension and pain. When Bo returned, he held a steaming cup of tea, a bottle of ibuprofen, an ice pack, and a change of clothes.

"What's that?" Hope asked.

"Your favorite tea," Bo smiled softly, "I kept some hidden in the kitchen all these years. When I'd miss you I'd make some just so I could remember the smell. It always seemed to bring me comfort."

Hope smiled at him, even though it hurt, "Thank you."

He helped her stand and then wrapped a towel around her. She stepped out of the tub. Bo dried her hair first, and then the rest of her body. Next he dressed her in one of his henley shirts. He smiled at how good she looked wearing his clothes.

"Let's get you to bed," Bo sighed. He led her to the guest room. She was surprised to find that he'd already pulled back the covers on the bed. She crawled into the welcoming spot with his help, and pulled the covers up to her chin with one arm. He handed her an ice pack and she looked at him quizzically.

"You should be icing your face." Bo said softly, "It will help with the swelling."

Hope knew he was right. She reluctantly accepted the freezing cold object.

"There's some ibuprofen there if you want it. I would take it if I were you." Bo added, and placed her tea next to the medicine on the night stand. He looked at her. His face showed clearly that there were a million thoughts racing through his mind. Instead of pestering her, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, "Goodnight FancyFace."

Hope pressed her lips together and closed her eyes. She felt full and almost happy despite the horrific day she'd just had. She opened her eyes to look up at him, "Goodnight Brady."

He looked her over once more before turning off the lights, shutting the bedroom door, and leaving her alone to rest.


	25. Chapter 25

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twenty Five**

Hope woke from a deep sleep. She slept so soundly, that it took her a minute to get oriented to her surroundings when she opened her eyes. She sat up, feeling every muscle in her body scream in disapproval. She ached all over, but her shoulder and chest still hurt the worst. She climbed out of bed at a sloth's pace and walked to the mirror above the dresser. She was horrified at what she saw staring back at her.

The right side of her face was black and blue. Her lips and right eye were swollen. She turned away. She was still ashamed she could let this happen. Anger boiled inside of her. She went back to the bed and slowly crawled back under the covers. She felt discouraged. She pulled the blankets up over her head, and decided not to come out for the rest of the day.

* * *

Later that evening, Ciara charged through the front door with Bo in tow. She'd been quiet the whole ride home, which was unusual.

"That's it," Bo sighed as he watched her climb on the couch, "What's up? What's wrong?"

"I don't want to do my homework," Ciara huffed and crossed her arms across her chest.

Bo eyed her. She was still such a little girl, but growing up into a person so fast. She seemed emotional. He shuddered at the thought of her teenage years. He took a seat next to her, "Is that all that's bothering you?"

"I miss mommy." Ciara said quietly. She didn't look at him.

"You're used to living with mommy full time," Bo acknowledged, "This is a hard adjustment for you huh?"

"No, I like living with you daddy. I want it to be like when I was really little and we all lived in the same house." Ciara played with her hair to ease her distress, "Why can't I stay with mommy too? I can take care of her. I'm a big girl."

Ever since Hope had been released from the hospital, Bo offered to keep Ciara full time since Hope was out of commission. She could barely care for herself, let alone an energetic child. Neither one had thought about how Ciara might feel about disrupting her routine.

"Well, maybe we can visit mommy. Would you like that?" Bo asked.

Ciara nodded, "When I live with mommy you visit me."

Bo tried Hope's cell phone but didn't get an answer. He sighed contemplating what to do next.

"Daddy, where is Carly?" Ciara asked as she looked around the room.

"Carly won't be staying with us anymore. She and I are no longer together," Bo replied. He brushed the hair out of her face, but didn't miss the light that erupted in his daughter's eyes.

"So you don't love each other anymore?" Ciara asked with a bright smile.

Bo almost laughed at the excitement pouring out of his daughter, "Did you really hate Carly that much?"

Ciara shrugged, "She is nice… But you don't look at her like you look at mommy. I want you to be happy."

"Me too," Bo agreed, "Carly is a very nice lady. I'm thankful she was here for us, but it's time to move on now."

"You and mommy are getting back together?" Ciara asked with glee.

"No," Bo shook his head, "I don't know."

"She will break up with Aiden, I know she will." Ciara stood, unable to handle the happiness erupting from deep inside.

"You're a little kid. How do you know?" Bo asked, choosing to not disclose that Hope already had or the fact that Aiden was scum.

"Because she loves you daddy. She's never loved another man. You're her prince." Ciara smiled and grabbed his hands, "Please?"

"Baby, I know you want mommy and I together, but I can't make any promises." Bo spoke softly, "I don't want you to get your hopes up."

"Do you love her?" Ciara asked quietly.

"Your mom?" Bo asked, "Of course I do. I love her very much, just like I love you very much. We're a family."

Ciara's shoulders sank, "But you belong together."

"Ciara," Bo said calmly, but seriously, "Mommy is hurt very bad."

"Why can't I see her?" Ciara asked, "Why won't you help her?! You're supposed to rescue her!"

"I did." Bo confessed, "She's upstairs resting."

"She's here?!" Ciara's face lit up again, but she frowned when Bo's hand stopped her.

"Ciara." Bo said firmly, "She's very fragile right now. We have to be quiet. We have to be gentle. She hurts all over okay?"

Ciara's face turned very serious and she nodded, "Okay."

Bo stood and held his hand out to her. She took it, looking nervous. They ascended the stairs together, and Bo prayed Hope wouldn't be furious that he told their daughter she was there. He hadn't seen or heard from her all day which concerned him. He didn't know what kind of mood she was in, or how she was feeling. He stood quietly with Ciara in front of the guest bedroom door.

Ciara knocked. It was quiet on the other side. Bo knocked louder, but silence still greeted them.

"FancyFace?" Bo called out, "Are you in there?"

"Go away," Hope mumbled from the other side.

Bo looked down at Ciara, who wore a puzzled look. He bent down to her level, "Can you do daddy a big favor and stay out here? I'm going in. Be really quiet okay?"

Ciara nodded obediently, "Okay."

"Hope?" Bo called again, "I'm coming in."

Hope said nothing. Bo opened the door to find Hope in a lump under the covers. He quietly closed the door behind him, not realizing it didn't latch. Ciara peered through the crack watching her parents intently.

Bo sat on the edge of the bed, "FancyFace. Hey… Come here."

"No," Hope protested quietly, "Please leave."

"I'm not gonna do that." Bo said calmly, "What's going on? Have you been hiding in here all day?"

"Yes," Hope replied, pulling the covers tighter over her. She didn't want to be seen.

"You need to eat." Bo sighed, "You need your medicine. You need to change your dressing. Hope, come on. Don't do this."

She moaned when he started pulling at the covers, "Brady don't."

He ignored her, "Hope look at me."

"I don't want you to look at me!" Hope yelled, but Bo exposed her anyway. Tears slipped down her discolored swollen face when she didn't have the blanket to hide behind any longer.

"Come here," Bo demanded quietly, "Why are you hiding?"

She cried softly, covering her face with her hands, "Look at me? I'm so ugly."

"No you're not," Bo argued, "Bruises always get worse before they get better."

He pulled her to him gently, wrapping her in a soothing hug. She gladly accepted the comfort, relaxing into his chest.

"You're always beautiful to me FancyFace," Bo whispered. He pushed her away slightly to survey the damage on her face. Then he kissed her forehead. Hope closed her eyes, soaking in the tender touch. Next he kissed her right cheek, then her left, and finally her lips, "It'll be better before you know it."

Ciara beamed from the doorway as she continued to spy on her parents from behind the cracked door.

Hope nodded, blown away by his tender sensitivity. She hugged him tightly, "I love you."

"I love you," Bo hugged her back and then kissed her head, "You have a visitor."

"Bo, I can't see anyone like this," Hope shook her head.

"It's a very young lady who is dying to see you," Bo added, "She would love to help me take care of you. She misses her mommy very much."

"But, I look like this?" Hope questioned, "What will I tell her? What will she say?"

Ciara pushed the door open, "You still look beautiful mommy."

Hope felt emotional at the sight of her daughter staring at her with no judgement. Ciara ran to the bed and crawled on top of it to join her parents. Hope opened her arms and Ciara carefully hugged her hurting mother. Bo took pride in her gentleness. At such a young age, she was still extremely caring and understanding.

"We need to get mommy to eat," Bo announced, "And take her medicine."

"You have to do what daddy and the doctor says, or else you're in big trouble." Ciara scolded.

"Well, I don't want to be in big trouble," Hope sighed.

"Are you hungry?" Bo asked.

Hope shrugged and then nodded, "Actually… yeah. Starving."

Bo smiled, "Good. The Little One and I can whip something up."

"We should move you to the couch," Ciara added, "And then we can watch a movie when you're done with dinner."

"Yes, doctor." Hope nodded. Her heart soared. Being with her family this way made her forget her pain and her troubles. Bo helped her stand and Ciara raced ahead of them.

"I'm sorry I sprung her on you like that," Bo said quietly, "She really missed you."

"It's okay," Hope smiled even though it hurt her battered face, "Sometimes you know better than I do what's best for me."

Bo kissed her temple, and the two of them joined their daughter downstairs for a night of family, relaxation, dinner, and a movie.


	26. Chapter 26

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twenty Six**

"When are you going to quit hiding out in the guest room?"

Hope stared at the fresh cup of tea she'd just made. Bo was behind her sitting at the kitchen table. His words hung ominously in the air. She mindlessly dunked her tea bag wishing she could avoid the conversation.

"FancyFace," Bo prodded gently, "You've been here for two weeks. You only come out when Ciara is home. Do you want to talk about it?"

Hope turned slowly to face him. She felt guilty and overwhelmed. She shrugged with her good shoulder, still resenting the sling her left arm rested in.

"Give me something here," Bo sighed. Honesty poured out of him. He stood and walked towards her, "You're pushing me away."

Hope shook her head, "No…"

"That's what it feels like to me," Bo confessed, "I miss you."

"You're working all the time," Hope argued flatly. She squirmed under his gaze.

"I hate it," Bo nodded in agreement, "What else is bothering you."

Hope's eyes fell to the floor, "I was attacked by a man in my own house."

"I wish you would have let me report him," Bo sighed.

"I'm a cop Brady…" Hope sighed with frustration, "I should have been able to defend myself. Instead, I ended up here, hiding out like a coward."

Bo swallowed slowly, "You don't want to be here?"

Hope's eyes flashed another round of guilt, "I don't know."

"I like it when you're here." Bo whispered.

"I don't know how to just go back to playing house with you Bo," Hope shook her head, "This doesn't even feel like my home anymore."

"Play house?" Bo questioned, clearly agitated but his eyes poured out only love for her, "We've never just played house Hope. We built a marriage. We built a family. We made this home. This is ours. Not mine. Not yours. This is ours."

Hope wiped forcefully at a lone tear that slipped down her cheek, "But another woman has been in my place. She's walked these halls. She's made this hers. She's been in our bed. It's haunting."

"This house isn't hers." Bo shook his head, "We can burn that bed for all I care. We can paint the walls. I don't care what we do, but this is our safe space FancyFace. Your presence never left these walls… Not for me."

"I can't stand the fact that I'm letting four years of being absent rob me of all the good memories we made here."

Bo smiled at her and reached for her hands. He squeezed them gently, "The happiest times of my life have been in this house with you. We can make more of those memories."

"You think?" Hope asked quietly and offered a small smile.

"I know," Bo nodded, "But you can't push me away."

Hope nodded, "We have to be honest with each other."

"Do you need someone to talk to?" Bo asked, "Someone that isn't me?"

Hope pressed her lips together, "I want my job back. I hate being benched."

"Marlena hasn't cleared you. Neither has Abe," Bo replied with a wince, "Maybe for good reason…?"

Hope smacked Bo's chest as hard as she could sending him into a fit of laughter.

"Ow!" Bo laughed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

Hope smiled at him, "Yes you did. You think I'm losing it."

"I think you're going through some stuff," Bo corrected, "I was just trying to help."

Hope stared at him contently. She was going through some stuff. She had a lot on her mind. She felt resentment and anger over being hurt and benched from the case. She felt embarrassed and fearful that a man she thought she could love physically assaulted her. She felt weak. She felt scared to let Bo all the way back in. She felt guilt for pushing him away. She felt sad that they ever separated in the first place. Regardless this is where they were now. She stared at him. Despite all of the negative overwhelming feelings that held her back, she felt safe. She felt like she was in the right place. She was headed in the right direction. She stared at Bo because he was her compass.

"You do help." Hope smiled softly, "You help me every day."

Bo kissed her softly, "I love you."

Hope let herself fall into his strong embrace, seeking some of his strength, "I love you too."

"If you're not ready to talk to Marlena, maybe you could invite Jen over. Put her to work." Bo winked, "The bedroom could use a makeover."

Hope shook her head, "Be careful what you wish for Brady."

"Surprise me," Bo smiled. He kissed her once more, "I gotta go to work."

Hope pouted.

Bo kissed her forehead, "I can't wait to come home to you and tell you all the boring details. You're not missing out."

"Have a good day." Hope sighed, but swatted his butt as he walked away from her. She leaned back against the kitchen counter and listened to him leave. Bo was right about one thing. It wasn't his house or hers. It was theirs.


	27. Chapter 27

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twenty Seven**

Hope stared at herself in the mirror. The bruises were still there, but they'd changed. There was no swelling. They were lighter. They could be covered by make-up. They would disappear soon and the world would never know her secret she so desperately wanted to keep. She gently took her arm out of her sling and slowly removed her shirt. She stared at the surgical incision with hard eyes. It was healing. Physically her body knew exactly how to recover. She was getting stronger. She exhaled slowly. She stared at herself again. She was still Hope. She was still a cop. She was still a mother. Her heart still ached with emotion. She craved a hot shower, hoping the water could help wash away the unwanted feelings. She continued to slowly undress herself.

She walked to the shower and turned on the water. Goosebumps erupted on her skin as she stood naked on the cool tile floor waiting for the water to warm up. She felt vulnerable, but a part of her appreciated the basic primal feeling. She stepped under the shower head, welcoming the steaming spray. She closed her eyes as water poured over her face and soaked her hair. The cleansing power stripped her skin of the unwanted goosebumps.

As she got lost in the satisfying feeling of warm water, a knock on the bathroom door startled her. She cursed silently at herself for jumping. Her heart pounded. She didn't want to live in fear. She took a deep breath.

"FancyFace?"

Hope sighed with relief, "Yeah?"

"You okay?"

Hope swallowed once as she gathered the rest of her bearings, "I'm fine."

"Okay," Bo called from the other side of the door, "I was just letting you know that I'm home from work. I'm going to start dinner. I'll be in the kitchen."

Hope was silent for a moment. The sound of running water engulfed her. As she thought about Bo walking away from the other side of the door, panic filled her. She suddenly didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to push him away.

"Bo, wait!" Hope called out, "Come back."

Bo cracked the door, "Do you need something?"

Hope peered her head through the shower door, "Come in here."

Bo opened the door, letting himself in. His face was greeted by a hot, heavy, wall of steam.

"Are you okay? What do you need?" Bo asked suddenly worried. His eyes struggled to see her face peering out of the shower through the steam.

"I need you." Hope said quietly.

Bo swallowed the sexual tension that suddenly erupted in his throat. Silence fell between them. Hope reached her hand out, inviting him to come closer. He obeyed. She wrapped one of her soaking wet arms around his neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss.

Bo stood breathless outside of the shower when her lips left his. Her eyes searched his, "I want you to come in here."

Bo felt like a school boy. His eyes couldn't stop staring at all the womanly features her body possessed. She watched him struggle to undress himself. When he finally succeeded she stole a glance of his naked body before letting him into the shower.

"What's gotten into you?" Bo asked as the hot spray of the shower pelted his skin. He surveyed her glistening body, immediately hungry for her. Hope said nothing to him. Instead, she pulled him in for another kiss. Their lips kissed hungrily, but slowly. Hope could feel her body responding. Her mind was blank. The only thing she could feel was the physical response her body always had so strongly for Bo. It was the freedom she needed.

Bo's hands slid over her wet skin as he pulled her close to him. His throat constricted when her fingers wrapped so delicately around the shaft of his penis. "Mmm, FancyFace…" Bo moaned into her kiss. She stroked him slowly, unwilling to rush the moment. She longed for the escape. His teeth scraped her bottom lip, desperate for more. She pulled away from him to stare into his eyes. Her hand continued to stroke his manhood. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, but she finally felt alive. Bo pulled her face back to his with one hand, crushing her lips with his hungry kiss. His other hand found her glistening nipples. He rolled one between his thumb and forefinger, massaging the rest of her breast with his hand.

"Oh, Brady," Hope moaned loudly at the pleasure he delivered to her. Her hand tighten on his shaft in response. Bo groaned, but it stopped in his throat. He wasn't ready to let it all go. He slowly backed her to the wall, ready to take her.

Hope's hand found his chest, "No."

Bo's face contorted in confusion. His penis throbbed when she dropped it from her hand. Blood rushed through his body. He was ready. He was willing.

She turned around and placed his hands on either side of her waist. She didn't want to feel safe. She wanted to feel like an animal. She leaned forward, bracing herself on the shower wall.

Bo's eyes widened in disbelief. He was so turned on, he didn't question her. He slowly slid into her wet core. Hope bit her lip at his entrance. It was exactly what she wanted. She could feel him stroke her G-spot and her toes curled in response.

"I want you to take me Brady," Hope ordered. She arched her back, ready for him to send her into a euphoric oblivion.

Bo battled for control. He began to drive into her at a steady pace. The view he had from behind her drove him wild. One of his hands held her pelvis securely to his, while the other reached forward to give attention to her breasts. The cries of pleasure he received were almost enough to make him lose control. His thrusts became quick and sloppy. Hope didn't care. She was too close to the edge. She was so delirious with arousal she could see black spots. With one flick of his finger to her clit, she was thrown into a powerful explosion of ecstasy. She screamed as her body jerked. Bo pulled her body upright and close to his chest. She relaxed into him. He released his own orgasm as he held her close.

They stayed like that. Frozen in the aftermath of release. Their chests rose and fell rapidly. Hope slowly felt herself coming back to Earth. She turned in his arms, still happy to feel the spray of the shower.

"The things you do to me," Bo's eyebrows raised. He smiled at her, thankful to have her back in his arms.

Hope smiled back at him, and he was happy to see it reach her eyes, "I think it's the other way around."

Bo kissed her lips gently and then moved his soft lips to her forehead.

Hope leaned into his kiss, "Thank you."

Bo tilted her chin up to look into her green eyes, "I think I should be the one thanking you. That performance was ALL you."

Hope laughed. She really laughed. It felt good to feel her whole body rattle with joy, "Well I think YOUR performance was exactly what I needed."

She winked at him and stepped out of the shower. Bo shook his head in awe of her. He turned off the shower and followed her lead. He wasn't sure where they were headed, but he was sure that they were going to end up stronger than ever.


	28. Chapter 28

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twenty Eight**

It was Saturday in Salem. Hope stood in the doorway of the master bedroom. So many memories had been made in the room that loomed in front of her. As she stared at the bed, she could feel it laughing at her. Her eyes scanned the walls. They seemed empty. Different. She shivered at the coldness that consumed her. She suddenly loathed the color. She took a deep breath and exhaled the resentment that filled her.

Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, "You okay, FancyFace?"

Hope nodded and leaned back into Bo's chest, "Just plotting…"

Bo kissed her temple, "Do I get to plot too?"

Hope smiled and sighed, "No, but I'd like you to invite the department over."

"What?" Bo asked confused, "You're up for visitors now?"

"I'm putting them to work. They can bring beer." Hope replied and turned around to place a quick peck on Bo's unsuspecting lips, "I'm plotting."

Bo's eyebrows raised as he watched her walk away, "Plot away. Your wish is my command."

* * *

Several hours later Bo was on the back patio preparing the grill for a barbecue. John, Abe, Roman, and Rafe sipped on bottles of beer and exchanged small talk. Hope watched them with a smirk through the window before waltzing out to join them.

"Hope," Roman greeted with a smile and then embraced her in a brotherly hug, "We've missed you."

Hope accepted his hug and waved to the rest of her crew. Excitement brewed within her. She didn't expect to see John, but she was pleased at the surprise.

"It's been awhile," Rafe shook his head, "I've been worried about you."

Hope shrugged, "I'm fine."

Abe shook his head, "Tough as nails."

"Which is why you should give me my job back," Hope fired back with a grin, "I'm ready."

"Hope," Bo eyed her. Concern filled his features.

Hope ignored him, "I'm serious Abe. I'm tired of sitting around at home. I want back on the case."

"You've been shot Hope." Abe argued, "Your arm is still in a sling. Have you even gone to physical therapy?"

"I do exercises at home," Hope argued calmly, "My sling is irrelevant."

"I disagree." Abe shook his head, "I'm supposed to send you out on the streets with only one arm to defend yourself?"

Hope's blood boiled, but her face paled as she thought about Aiden assaulting her. Abe was right. He didn't have a clue that she already had the experience of trying to defend herself one handed.

Bo watched her carefully. She recovered, "Then give me my gun back."

"You haven't spoken with Marlena yet…" Abe said softly, "You know the protocol Hope."

Hope exhaled. She wasn't going to win. She knew it. She glanced around at all the men staring at her. They were dear to her heart. They wanted to be supportive, "I want to be back on this case Abe. Let me sit at a desk. I'll push paperwork."

"You hate sitting at a desk," Bo scoffed.

"Yeah, since when do you volunteer for desk duty?" Rafe laughed.

"That's dedication," Roman smirked, "I think I need a vacation."

Hope rolled her eyes, "I'm tired of sitting around at home people. Help me here!"

Bo laughed, "You heard the lady. Help her Abe!"

Abe sighed, "We'll compromise. You can come in on Monday, but there are no late hours for you. I expect you to start attending physical therapy, and if you want that gun back I suggest you see Marlena soon."

Hope bit her lip in contemplation. She glanced at Bo who nodded in support, then turned back to Abe, "Fine. Deal."

Abe stuck his hand out to shake on it, "Deal."

As Hope shook his hand a grin erupted on her lips, "Now that I can cross that off my list, I have a job for the five of you."

"What kind of job?" John asked as curiosity perked his interest.

"I need all of the furniture out of the master bedroom." Hope replied with confidence.

The men exchanged confused glances. Hope didn't miss the slightly awkward silence, but she ignored it, "You can bring it out here and put in in the yard."

All the men looked at Bo. Bo shrugged and chuckled, "Well, you heard the Detective. Get upstairs!"

The men filed inside in single file line. Roman brought up the end and stopped with his arms crossed over his chest. He smiled down at Hope.

"What?" Hope asked with a furrowed brow.

"I knew you guys would get back together." Roman winked.

"Shut up," Hope rolled her eyes and shoved her ex-brother-in-law's shoulder. Roman chuckled knowingly as he brushed passed Hope, "We all knew it was coming!"

Once alone, Bo and Hope stared at each other.

"What are you doing?" Bo asked calmly.

"Plotting." Hope replied quietly.

"Still plotting?" Bo asked surprised.

Hope nodded once. She stared sheepishly at him. He approached her slowly. She looked at the ground, suddenly feeling vulnerable. Once in front of her, Bo tucked some of Hope's hair behind her ear, "Should we talk about it?"

Hope bit her bottom lip, "I just want to remodel the bedroom…"

"And?" Bo waited patiently, knowing there was something else.

"And destroy the furniture…" Hope confessed. She let her eyes slowly travel up to meet his.

"I see," Bo nodded once and crossed his arms, "Where do you want me to sleep then?"

Hope chewed on her lip again. She felt like a child, "With me…"

Bo's heart swelled a little. He didn't care about the furniture. He cared that they were making progress. Although they'd been sleeping together, Hope had yet to let him into her bed permanently. He caressed her cheek, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "I'm sure."

Bo kissed her softly. He felt pleased, "I don't care what you do to the place FancyFace. I'm just so happy that you're finally home."

Hope went into his chest and smiled to herself as his strong arms wrapped around her. She rested her head on his shoulder as she absorbed the moment, "Me too."

It had taken four years, but she was back where she'd needed to be all along. Home.


	29. Chapter 29

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Twenty Nine**

Hope stared at the bare walls of the master bedroom. The room was empty. Today she was taking control. A bundle of nerves swelled in her stomach. All she wanted was a fresh start. A blank page. A new slate. She wanted to erase the bad and replace it with good. She could smell the open paint cans and it numbed the anxiety that rattled inside of her.

"I found these in the garage," Jennifer said breathlessly as she entered the room, "What do you think?"

Hope turned around to see Jennifer with a plastic tub full of paint brushes. They were various sizes and some had been used more than others. She didn't recall doing that many paint projects in the past, but she shrugged, "Those look like they'll do the job."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jennifer asked quietly. There were only a few times in their life together that she couldn't read Hope and this was one of them, "I mean, you don't want to hire someone?"

Hope shook her head, "No. I'm sure I want to do this. I need to."

Jennifer nodded, "Okay."

They each grabbed a roller and dipped them into trays of paint.

"You first," Jennifer grinned.

Hope smiled nervously, "Okay."

She slowly pressed the roller to the wall and gently rolled it up and down. Her eyes watched the light green color cover the beige with ease. Her heart swelled.

"I love this color," Jennifer announced as she rolled paint onto a separate wall opposite of Hope, "It's so fresh and calming. The room is going to look so much brighter."

Hope surveyed the light, pale, color again, "I think it'll do the trick."

"Does Bo know you're doing this?" Jennifer asked.

"Sort of," Hope replied as she watched her fresh paint continue to cover the old. The repetitive motion of pushing the roller up and down soothed her.

"So, are we ever going to talk about how one day you were at home with me and the next you were gone and never came back?" Jennifer asked.

"I told you," Hope replied quietly, "I needed help because of my arm."

"I thought I was enough?" Jennifer replied quietly, "You're hiding something from me."

Hope bit her lip. The sound of the roller on the wall drowned out her busy thoughts.

"Is this a bad time?"

Jennifer and Hope looked over their shoulders to see Marlena standing in the doorway.

"I knocked. I should've rang the doorbell, but Abe and Bo said you were expecting me so I let myself in." Marlena said as she surveyed the scene before her, "Did they tell me wrong?"

Hope shook her head, "No, no. Come in. I'm glad to have you."

Jennifer and Marlena exchanged a puzzled glance.

"She's here to paint too?" Jennifer asked confused.

"No," Hope sighed, "She's here because everyone says I need therapy."

"You don't think so?" Marlena asked.

"I just want my gun back," Hope replied. She turned to face Marlena, "I'm fine."

"Should I go?" Jennifer asked, "I didn't know this was happening."

"No, it's fine." Hope answered shortly, "Stay."

Hope and Marlena stared quietly at each other. Hope almost squirmed as she felt Marlena sizing her up. She reminded herself that she was a friend and exhaled slowly. She went for more paint and continued the therapeutic process of rolling paint.

"I'd like to know the answer to Jennifer's question," Marlena prodded, "Are you hiding something from her?"

Hope bit her lip again. Frustration bubbled inside of her. She stared at the new color on the wall instead.

"Okay," Marlena nodded, "How about why you moved back in with Bo?"

Hope stopped and turned to face Marlena, "I was shot. He took care of me. We have a child. Is it really that far fetched?"

Jennifer eyed her cousin suspiciously, but continued to paint quietly.

"So, why are you painting?" Marlena asked casually.

"This has nothing to do with being shot," Hope argued, "I'm bored out of my mind. I want to go to work. Who cares if I picked up a project or two at home to keep myself entertained?"

"Everyone in this room knows there's more to it than that and you know it," Marlena replied.

Hope almost rolled her eyes at Marlena's aggressive approach.

"Hope," Jennifer soothed, "You're being defensive. She's just trying to help. We both care about you. Let us be here for you."

Hope put her roller down and ran both hands through her hair. Her arms crossed her chest.

"Why is painting this room so important to you?" Marlena tried again quietly.

"I wanted something new. A fresh start," Hope shrugged, "I can't stand that Carly shared this room with my husband… Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"So you and Bo are back together?" Marlena asked.

Hope swallowed slowly, "Don't act so surprised."

Jennifer smiled, "I wouldn't dare…"

Marlena stifled a laugh and then sobered, "You don't seem happy…"

"I've been shot and no one will let me work!" Hope replied with a raised voice, "For God's sake, I feel like a prisoner."

Marlena noted the tears that sprung to Hope's eyes, "What else is bothering you Hope?"

"It doesn't matter," Hope whispered, "I am just ready to move on with my life."

"You were a stay at home mom for many years," Marlena challenged, "I find it hard to believe you're that eager to get back to work. You've been in this position before."

"I was on an important case," Hope argued quietly.

"I see," Marlena nodded once, "So you and Bo are just magically back together? Carly and Aiden are out of the picture?"

"This isn't new," Hope shrugged, "I'm not proud of it."

"You've been seeing each other for awhile?" Marlena asked.

Hope nodded, "I tried to keep my distance… It's just something I've never been very good at you know?"

"Are you nervous?" Marlena asked.

"About being back with Bo?" Hope asked, "Yes. Our divorce destroyed me. I'm terrified what will happen if we separate again."

"Have you told him that?" Marlena asked.

Hope nodded, "He was hurt too. I'm not completely innocent. We have a lot of work to do, but he's supportive and he's committed."

"That's great," Marlena encouraged, "How did Aiden and Carly take it?"

"Carly took it surprisingly well…" Hope sighed, "Aiden…."

Jennifer stopped painting when Hope trailed off. Marlena waited patiently.

"Aiden didn't take it well at all." Hope replied quietly. She didn't want to talk about it, but a part of her felt the need to get it off her chest. She fought with herself. She'd made it this far without anyone knowing. The evidence on her body was long gone.

"What happened?" Jennifer asked impatiently, "It happened before I got home, I know it."

"None of this has to do with me getting cleared for work." Hope resisted, "Why aren't we talking about what happened at the scene of my shooting? How about we talk about the shoot out that Bo and I almost lost our lives in?"

"Because I don't think that is what is bothering you," Marlena replied, "You're not traumatized from being in the shoot out or killing several men. You're traumatized from something that happened afterwards."

Hope nodded and yelled, "He assaulted me. Okay? Are you happy?"

"Hope?" Jennifer barely breathed as she watched Hope's eyes fall to the floor, "Aiden?"

Hope inhaled and exhaled slowly forcing herself to be in control. She nodded.

"Are you okay?" Jennifer asked, "Why didn't you tell me? Did you call the police?"

"Jennifer slow down," Marlena warned calmly, "Let's listen to Hope's story."

"I didn't call the police. I don't want everyone to know. I'm fine." Hope sighed heavily, "Bo is the only one who knows. I just want to move on."

"Have you seen him since it happened?" Marlena asked.

Hope shook her head, "I don't want to."

"So that's why you're confining yourself to this house?" Marlena asked.

Hope nodded in silence then added, "I hate it."

"Why do you want your gun back?" Marlena asked already knowing the answer.

"Because…" Hope whispered, "I had it for protection in the shoot out. It saved mine and Bo's life. I didn't have it when Aiden attacked me…" Hope saw her life flash before her eyes again. Her skin crawled at his forceful touch.

"You think having your gun back will make you feel brave enough to leave the house?" Marlena prodded, "Do you want to hurt him?"

Hope shook her head, "For God's sake… No."

"It's a question I have to ask," Marlena defended, "I'm concerned."

"If I would have had my gun, Aiden never would have gotten as far as he did." Hope replied calmly, "I was wounded. I had one arm. I couldn't defend myself. I was home alone. All I would have had to do is wave that gun in his face and none of this would have happened."

"But it did happen," Marlena replied quietly, "And you're struggling with the fact that you couldn't defend yourself."

"I'm a cop." Hope sighed, "What kind of cop am I now?"

"Hope that's not fair to yourself." Jennifer shook her head and went to her cousin, "Your gun was taken from you per protocol. You were shot for crying out loud. The strongest man in the world would struggle in defending themselves. It wasn't a fair fight. You know that."

Hope nodded, "I know, but it doesn't make it any easier. I thought I loved him at one time."

"Hope you know I can't clear you to have your gun back yet," Marlena shook her head silently, "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"What?" Hope challenged, "Why?"

"You need to get out of the house first." Marlena replied, "And frankly, you need to see Aiden without it."

"I'm not going to schedule a time to see Aiden." Hope fired, "There's no way in hell."

"He still has a job doesn't he?" Marlena asked, "Go to work. I'm sure you'll see him there."

"You should seriously consider pressing charges," Jennifer added, "You would feel better."

Hope shook her head, "The evidence is long gone. There is no case."

"Hope, I'm sorry," Marlena added, "I know this isn't what you wanted. I want to help, I do. But I honestly don't think you're ready. You're dealing with a lot more than Abe thinks you are. I think we should have a few more sessions."

Hope's blood boiled, but the disappointment wasn't as high as she'd anticipated. She thanked Marlena with a polite nod and smile. Both she and Jennifer watched her leave.

"Marlena's right," Jennifer sighed, "You have a lot going on."

Hope shook her head, "I'm done talking about it."

"I just want to be here for you. I just want to help," Jennifer begged, "Please don't push me away."

"Then, let's paint," Hope huffed. She turned away and resumed the therapeutic action. It immediately calmed her. She didn't conquer all of her demons today, but she was certainly on the way to conquering one. She reminded herself that it was perfectly acceptable to take each day one step at a time.


	30. Chapter 30

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Thirty**

Jennifer sat with Hope on the back porch of the Brady house. They watched silently as flames engulfed the furniture set in the middle of the yard. Hope appeared somber. Jennifer watched Hope quietly and slowly sipped on a glass of wine.

"I should have made a party out of this or something," Hope mumbled as she eyed the flames. The sun was setting, casting a magical glow across the backyard.

"I think this is perfect," Jennifer disagreed, "I think this is exactly what you need."

Hope looked at her and nodded. She was making her peace with her and Bo's mistakes. They would rise from the ashes. She would make sure of it.

"You do forgive him, right?" Jennifer asked quietly.

Hope stared at the fire and nodded without hesitation, "I do. I'm just scared it's all going to happen again."

"It can't happen again," Jennifer sighed, "You two have to figure this out."

"I know," Hope nodded, "I know."

Jennifer poured more wine into Hope's empty glass, "Bo acts out when he can't have you. He's lost without you. He makes stupid decisions. I don't think Bo is a bad person, I never have. You know I love him, but I think sometimes he intentionally hurts you when you push him away. He's been with other people, but it's clear that you're always the one that he wants. He loves you."

Hope sighed and took a sip of her wine, "I'm not perfect. I've done plenty of things to hurt him on purpose, and honestly I think I'm way more lost without him."

"Then working on your relationship is the right decision." Jennifer smiled, "You belong together. All marriage takes work. You can do this."

"Thank you." Hope smiled lightly, "I'm determined to do it right this time. We can't fall back together because the sex is great or because it is what Ciara wants. We have to want it. We can't just magically go back to how we were before either. Clearly we weren't on the same page. We have to be strong enough to survive another strain."

"Is he on the same page as you?" Jennifer asked quietly.

"Of course I am," Bo interrupted.

Hope and Jennifer turned around to see Bo standing in the doorway.

"I didn't hear you come home," Hope smiled at him.

He raised a bottle of wine, "I heard you weren't cleared today. I brought a peace offering, but I see you're already half a bottle in."

Hope stood from her chair and greeted Bo properly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed him, "Thank you."

He hugged her tighter, holding her for a moment longer in support. He knew Marlena's resistance on clearing Hope was hard on her.

"It's been a long day," Jennifer sighed, "I should give you two some time alone."

"Sure, after you're an accessory to arson?" Bo said sarcastically as he nodded towards the fire in his yard.

Jennifer swallowed slowly and looked from the burning furniture to Hope.

Hope almost laughed, "He's joking."

Jennifer sighed with relief, "You scared me! For a second, I thought you didn't know this was happening."

"I had an idea," Bo winked, "Did you girls have a good day?"

"We did," Jennifer beamed, "I thought it was a perfect day."

Hope smiled back and then looked up at Bo, "It was pretty perfect. Just what I needed."

Bo kissed Hope's temple, "I'm glad to hear it. Glad you could make it over Jen."

Jennifer gave Bo a hug, "I guess I should go see what my children are up to."

Hope followed Jen into the house towards the front door. They paused at the front stoop.

"Jennifer," Hope sighed, "Thank you. For everything. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to find out." Jennifer smiled and embraced Hope in a tight hug, "You're going to make it through this. You both are."

Hope nodded, taking the words to heart in reassurance. She watched Jennifer walk to her car and waved goodbye as she pulled out of the driveway. As she watched her car disappear she felt Bo's arms wrap around her waist from behind.

"Are you okay?" Bo asked.

"I'm okay," Hope reassured as she sank back into his chest, "One day at a time Brady."

"One day at a time," Bo smiled and inhaled the scent of her hair. It relaxed him. He was happy to have her in his arms and in his house, "Are you hungry?"

"I am," Hope nodded, "What do you think about going for a walk first?"

"You want to leave the house?" Bo asked surprised.

Hope swallowed, suddenly nervous, "I do."

"Okay," Bo agreed without further questioning. He walked a few steps ahead of her and turned around when she didn't follow, "You sure?"

Hope nodded quickly and hurried to catch up to him. She reached for his hand. He gladly accepted and entwined their fingers. They walked slowly, silently, and hand in hand down the street. Hope inhaled the fresh air. After smelling paint all day it cleansed her lungs. The brisk air awakened her skin. She shivered lightly.

"Should we go back?" Bo asked.

Hope shook her head, "It feels nice."

Bo eyed her suscipicously.

"I just really need to do this." Hope replied seriously. Her eyes begged his to understand.

"Then we're doing it," Bo replied. He did understand. He always understood her, "Where are we going?"

"I don't care." Hope shrugged, "I'll go anywhere with you."

Just like that, she was reckless again. Scared out of her mind and struggling with demons one minute, and prepared to surrender it all a moment later. All she needed was his reassuring gaze, and the strength she drew from simply holding his hand.


	31. Chapter 31

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Thirty One**

Hope sat uncomfortably in her office at the Salem Police Department. It was a Monday. At Marlena's urging and Abe's delight, Hope was pushing paperwork. She didn't exactly mind, but she couldn't focus. She was jumpy. She looked over her shoulder constantly. Hiding at home made it easier for her to avoid the constant feelings of fear and inadequacy. She didn't want to admit she had a problem.

A knock on her door made her heart pound. She turned quickly in her chair to see the exact person she was afraid of running into at work. The exact person who made her hide out for weeks. The same person who made her afraid of going in public. She squirmed in her chair. Aiden offered an apologetic smile. Her throat constricted in response. Her skin crawled.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Aiden spoke softly, "Do you have a minute? I won't take long."

Hope swallowed slowly, searching for words, "What do you want?"

Aiden stepped into her office, but kept his distance.

"Leave the door open," Hope ordered. She wanted to run. She wanted to scream. Her heart raced.

"Hope," Aiden held his hands up in surrender, "I'm not here to hurt you. I swear. I'm not here to cause any trouble either. I came to apologize again… And to thank you."

"For what?" Hope asked calmly. She fiddled with a pen. Her mind raced. She tried to force herself to stay calm. Her eyes fell on the place where her sling used to rest. At least she had two hands to fight back with this time. She looked back at him, realizing he was speaking. She didn't want to listen. Her ears burned.

"For not pressing charges. You could have ruined my career, but you didn't. You had every right to turn me in. I feel terrible for what I did to you." Aiden stared at the floor, "I've never been a good loser."

Hope didn't have anything to say. She didn't press charges for her benefit, not his. She silently cursed Marlena for making her do this. She wondered if Marlena arranged this. She felt sudden rage.

"I've been going to AA meetings. I have a new sponsor." Aiden sighed, "I haven't had a drink since that night."

Hope nodded, "Good."

"Anyway," Aiden shrugged, "I won't keep you. I just wanted to say hello. It's good to see you back at work."

"Everything okay in here?"

Hope jumped at the sound of Bo's voice in her doorway, but found immediate relief in his presence. She physically relaxed a little, but a swarm of emotions surprised her.

"I was just leaving," Aiden nodded, "Excuse me."

Bo stepped aside to let Aiden leave the room, and then stepped into Hope's office. He closed the door behind him.

"FancyFace?"

Hope stood from her desk. Her hands trembled and she shook them in an attempt to make the trembling stop. Tears threatened her and she didn't know where they came from. She looked at Bo, hating the fact that she needed him. She didn't want to need him, but she did.

"Hey," Bo hugged her before she could pace.

"I don't know where all these feelings are coming from." Hope fought the tears, "I don't want to feel like this."

"You're scared." Bo replied, "It's okay to be scared. He attacked you."

Hope shook her head, "I can't breathe."

Bo pulled her to him, hugging her tightly to his chest. She clung to him, absorbing his strength.

"It's okay." Bo whispered, "Deep breaths. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Hope swallowed again as her throat finally relaxed. She pulled away to look up at him.

"You're safe here." Bo reminded, "You're always safe with me."

Hope nodded, "I know."

Bo kissed her forehead, "You're strong Hope. Don't let your fear fool you. You've been through a lot."

"I can't even push paperwork without feeling traumatized. How am I ever going to be a cop again?" Hope asked quietly. She felt ashamed. It was her first day back at work and she already felt defeated.

"One step at a time," Bo shrugged, "You just started getting out of the house. Let's go back to the basics."

"What do you mean?" Hope asked.

"You'll be medically cleared soon. We'll train like the old days. Jogging, self defense class, weight training, boxing…When you're cleared by Marlena, we do target practice, run drills…" Bo sat on her desk, "We'll make your skills strong and boost your confidence. You're a good cop Hope. Nothing's changed."

"You won't have time for any of that." Hope shook her head, but she liked the idea.

"I'll make time." Bo argued, "This is important to me Hope. I want to help."

Hope offered a small smile, "What about our case?"

"It's still open," Bo shrugged, "It's not nearly as fun without you. I'm sure it will still be there when you're ready to get back to work. In the meantime Abe is letting Roman and Rafe help out."

"You don't think it will be closed by the time I'm ready?" Hope raised an eyebrow, "With three detectives on the case?"

"Nope," Bo shook his head confidently, "Due to the fact that we're missing our best one."

Hope smiled, "I guess I am pretty good."

"Damn right you are," Bo smiled back. He kissed her quickly, "You need help with some of that paperwork?"

Hope's eyes found the ominous pile that loomed up at her, "Are you sure? Isn't there something more 'cops and robbers' like for you to do?"

Bo laughed, "Probably, but I'd rather stick around… make sure you know what you're doing and all."

"You know," Hope raised her hands with a shrug, "It's been so long, you might have to double check a couple of things. Reteach me. You know how I love being supervised."

"I don't recall you ever liking supervision," Bo mumbled as he sat down on the opposite side of her desk.

She smiled. She hated supervision, but she loved him. She handed half of the stack over to him and they began the task in silence. One step at a time she would recover, and she was confident that he would be there every step of the way.


	32. Chapter 32

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Thirty Two**

"Would you have pulled your gun?"

The question hung in the air like dead weight. Hope stared at Marlena straight in the eyes.

"Yes," Hope replied.

"I see," Marlena sighed.

"You can sit there and tell me that is exactly the reason why you didn't clear me, but what in the hell do you expect?" Hope fired back, "Are you kidding me? The man attacked me. He beat me to a bloody pulp, and I'm not supposed to be afraid or want to defend myself?!"

"That is not what I'm saying." Marlena replied calmly.

"It is what you're saying." Hope argued, "I was shot. The only reason I'm still alive is because of that gun. I used it to defend myself. I don't just fire it at people in office buildings."

"Hope, what I'm worried about is that you're going to use it inappropriately." Marlena replied.

"I know how to use it." Hope stated evenly, "I'm a trained cop. I use the safety. I know when it is appropriate to use it as a threat and when to use it as a weapon. It's not easy for me to just take a person's life."

"The gun means more to you than protection." Marlena replied, "I can see that, but I'm still not comfortable letting you have yours back. You should keep going to work. Get comfortable being there. You have a high probability of seeing Aiden Jennings a lot. The rest of them have guns. Remember that."

Hope rolled her eyes, as Marlena stood, "I don't want to kill the man."

"I know you're not fond of me right now, but whether you want to admit it or not you're suffering from pretty significant PTSD. I'm only looking out for your best interest. You'll thank me later." Marlena eyed Hope from the doorway, "Tell Bo I said hello."

"Next week I'd like to come to your office," Hope announced. She wanted to push herself. She wanted to prove to Marlena that she was fine. She could get out of the house alone. She was sure of it.

"Fine," Marlena nodded, "Let me know if you change your mind."

"I won't." Hope shook her head confidently. She watched Marlena leave. When she heard Marlena's car door slam, she threw one of the decorative pillows from the couch across the living room. She was irritated. She glanced at the clock and realized Ciara wouldn't be home for several hours. She couldn't wait. She needed the distraction.

She stared at the ceiling, realizing how hard it had become for her to be alone. She hated it. She chose to go upstairs. Even if she wasn't suffering from PTSD, she had gotten used to being a busy mom with a full time job. Because of her need to be distracted, she chose to make herself busy. She had plenty to do to finish decorating the master bedroom. If there was one thing she could look forward to conquering, it was the demons that haunted her from Carly's presence in her house.

She flipped on the lights and surveyed her work thus far. She was pleased. There were no demons laughing back at her. It was a fresh start. She was in control. She ran her hand along the mattress of the new bed set and smiled. If she planned her day right, she could have the room finished by the time Bo was home from work.

The thought of spending the night in their bedroom made her feel even more at home. Nostalgia swept over her and she smiled again. This was their safe space. They'd made two of their children in this room. She almost laughed to herself. Nothing and no one could ever change that.


	33. Chapter 33

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Thirty Three**

Bo found Hope in a silk nightgown lighting candles in the newly finished master bedroom. Surprise masked his face as he looked around the room. He didn't recognize anything in it but her.

"Wow," Bo whistled, "This is… wow."

"I'm done plotting." Hope said proudly. She halted her task with the candles and quietly surveyed her work. It was calming. She felt safe inside the four walls that surrounded her.

"I like it," Bo nodded, "Maybe you should plot more often."

Hope sat on the bed, drawing her legs up to her chest, "You're home late."

"Yeah," Bo sighed, "Abe is getting agitated about the case again. Is Ciara already asleep?"

Hope nodded, "She wanted to wait up, but I wouldn't let her. Her teachers would hate me tomorrow."

Bo sat next to her, and greeted her with a proper kiss, "How was your day?"

Hope shrugged, "Just another argument with Marlena."

"Still not cleared, huh," Bo frowned.

"Nope," Hope fell back on the bed, "Maybe I should just be a housewife."

Bo's ears perked up, "Don't you need to be somebody's wife first?"

Hope almost blushed and bit her lip, "Stay at home mom?"

Bo shook his head, "I like the first one better."

She watched him lay on his side next to her and reach for her left hand.

"What are you thinking?" Bo asked.

"That I don't know if we're ready for that." Hope confessed.

"If that's how you feel, we can wait." Bo replied. He kissed her hand.

"Why are you being so patient with me?" Hope asked, "You're so stubborn, sometimes pigheaded, and impatient with other people. You clearly disagree with me. Why are you just trying to please me?"

Bo almost laughed, "Why thank you. I do delight myself in the occasional pigheaded episode. Do you want me to not please you?"

"No," Hope shook her head, "I just wish you'd be honest with me and tell me what you want. I'm not the only one in the relationship here. Quit trying to protect me and my feelings just because I'm mentally unstable according to my shrink."

"I don't think you're mentally unstable." Bo shook his head, "I love you. I sort of love you a lot, in case you didn't know. I've waited for you for four years, I can wait a little longer. Being patient with you is easy when it involves getting us back on track."

"You weren't patient with me before." Hope whispered softly.

Bo touched her cheek and traced the outline of her lips with his thumb, "I know. I think I learned my lesson. Now I know what it's like to lose you."

Hope turned on her side so that they were facing each other. She pressed her forehead to his, "I'm so scared to love you again, but every time I look at you I realize I never really stopped."

Bo kissed her softly, "I love you. When I look at you, I already see my wife. I'd marry you every day for the rest of my life if I could. You're the only one for me. I would never give my last name to anyone else. So, if you need time to decide when you're ready to wear my ring that's okay…I'm just happy to have you home."

Hope didn't fight the happy tears that seeped slowly onto her cheeks. She kissed him almost delicately, afraid to ruin the tender moment. She was beyond grateful for their second chance and just as happy she was home as he was.

Bo rolled over her, unwilling to contain his love for her. He tenderly kissed her forehead and her cheeks. She absorbed every second of it blissfully.

"I think I forgot to tell you how beautiful you look tonight," Bo smiled as he looked her up and down, "Coming home to this, never gets old."

Hope smiled and pulled at the straps of her nightgown, "This old thing?"

Bo chuckled and kissed her again. Having her back in their bedroom made his heart soar. One of his hands roamed slowly up her thigh and landed on lacy material. Delight filled him. His ears perked up at the sound of the softest moan escaping her lips.

"Bo…" Hope spoke quietly into his lips, but the sound didn't reach his ears. He hungrily kissed her, eager to rid her flushed skin of the silk and lace that covered it. "Bo…" Hope gasped and pushed gently on his chest.

Bo pulled away, his eyes hooded with desire but concern suddenly filled them, "What? Do you want to stop?"

Hope bit her lip to hide a shy smile, "Of course not."

Relief washed over him, "Is something wrong?"

Hope played with the buttons on his shirt as she gathered her thoughts. She couldn't think of the right words to say so she got straight to the point, "Thank you."

Bo watched her eyes slowly travel up to meet his, "For what?"

Hope's toes curled. He was still propped up on top of her, pinning her to the bed. She didn't want to move. Feeling the way she felt in that moment made her feel like she belonged.

"FancyFace?" Bo prodded and caressed her cheek.

Hope sighed, "For being patient with me. For helping me be strong. For making me feel safe."

Bo placed a finger over her lips to silence her, "I don't want to be anywhere else."

"What happens when you're done rescuing me?" Hope asked quietly, and then silently cursed herself for letting her insecurities ruin the moment. She couldn't decide where the thought came from or why she let it go flying out of her mouth. Her heart raced in anticipation.

Bo frowned, "What do you mean?"

Hope closed her eyes, preparing for a fight. She wished she could take it back.

"Hope, I'm not rescuing you from anything." Bo defended and sat up. Confusion overwhelmed him. His body ached at the complete turn around the night was taking them in.

Hope followed, pulling her knees back to her chest, "Yes you are. I'm in trouble. You always have to save people Bo. You save Billie every time. You rescued Carly until she didn't need it anymore. And then there's me. Poor little Hope… You're saving me Bo. What happens when you're done and I don't need you anymore?"

Bo swallowed slowly. He couldn't decide if he was hurt or angry. Her words burned him, but he could hear the truth in her words ringing in his ears.

Hope's heart flooded with guilt, "Bo, I'm sorry. I just…"

Bo watched her stand and walk away from the bed, "No. No. You're not leaving this room. Let's talk about it."

Hope's eyebrows furrowed. This was new behavior for him. She wasn't sure she was ready to confront this insecurity that burrowed deep inside of her.

"Hope, I'm not saving you from anything. I wanted you back before anything bad ever happened to you." Bo stated evenly. He was breathing hard. He couldn't decide if it was out of frustration, fear, or hurt.

Hope's eyes filled with tears, "Then why do you leave me to save other women?"

Bo ran his hands through his hair, "Because. You make me so mad Hope. You're the only woman who can get under my skin. You frustrate the hell out of me."

"So it's my fault?" Hope's voice cracked as the tears sprang loose.

"No!" Bo growled, no longer in control of his emotion, "Dammit Hope."

"Then why are we doing any of this?" Hope questioned, "It will end the same way."

"No," Bo argued, "You didn't let me finish. Stop."

Hope was putting distance between them to protect herself, but Bo wouldn't allow it.

"You can't just throw something like this out there and try to leave. You promised we were going to do this differently. That means staying here. Talking it out." Bo grabbed her forearm and spun her around, "I love you. I'm not going anywhere. Before, it was easier to lose myself in saving someone else than trying to deal with how crazy you make me Hope. You hurt me. I'm not proud of it, but I wanted to hurt you back."

Hope's heart sank. She knew he was right. She was being reckless again. Why she'd just ruined their night with this discussion she'd never know. She stared at the arm that he still gripped, "I'm sorry."

"You act like I'm always in control of our relationship Hope," Bo shook his head. His voice shook, "You're wrong. You're in control. You always have been." He swallowed the thick emotion that clung to his throat, "You're not the only one who is scared here. I break your heart. You break mine. I'm terrified you'll realize I'm not good enough for you. I'm terrified you'll stop wanting me. It's easier to settle for second best and a warm bed when things go bad between us."

Hope wiped at her tears with her free hand, "Brady…. I don't know what to say."

"I don't want to do this anymore…" Bo confessed, "We can't let the past haunt us like this."

"I'm sorry," Hope whispered.

Bo dropped her arm and lunged for her face. He pushed her backward until she ran into the wall. She enjoyed slamming into it. The passion that ignited between them sent their hands and lips into a frenzy. Hope rid herself of her underwear and Bo lost his pants in less than a minute. He picked her up, entering her forcefully as he pinned her back to the wall.

He thrust into her erratically, before pausing and staring at her with a face full of emotion, "Do you want me to stop?"

Hope shook her head, unable to speak.

He lifted her, and spun her around to lay her gently on the bed. She caressed his face as he stared at her.

"Just for the record, I will never stop needing you." Hope whispered softly, "I don't want to be in control."

"Neither do I," Bo shook his head, "I'm in this FancyFace. Forever."

"Me too." Hope nodded and welcomed the soft kiss that Bo offered.

They resumed their love making in a sensual fashion, abandoning their rough encounter. Emotions were running high, but the anger and hurt were fading. There was nothing but love in the room as they made yet another step towards reckless surrender and healing.


	34. Chapter 34

Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Thirty Four

Bo shook Hope gently, "FancyFace…"

Hope jerked in her sleep and pulled away.

"Hope, wake up." Bo shook her again.

"What?" Hope mumbled, "What's wrong?"

"It's time to get up." Bo replied, "We're going to be late."

Hope peered at the alarm clock on the nightstand, "Bo, it's 4:30 in the morning! Late for what?!"

"Your first jog," Bo smiled at her through the moonlight that lit up their bedroom.

Hope threw her pillow at him, "Get away from me."

Bo laughed out loud, "Come on cadet. We must build stamina."

Hope sat up and glared at him, "I'm a Detective."

"Are you?" Bo raised his eyebrows, "What happened to being a housewife?"

Hope scowled at him, "Hard to do when I don't have a husband."

Bo chuckled as he watched her stomp out of bed to get dressed, "Your choice, not mine."

He dodged her nightgown as it came flying his way. He admired her body quietly as she dressed. Memories of the night before flooded him.

Hope huffed as she pulled her hair up into a pony tail, "I can't believe you're making me do this."

"Prepare to feel alive, FancyFace." Bo grinned at her, swatted her on the butt, and pointed to the door, "Let's go!"

Hope exhaled slowly, but obediently made her way out of their bedroom, down the stairs, and out the front door.

"Today, we're doing one mile and then thirty minutes on the bag." Bo announced, "Ready?"

"I'm going to croak," Hope mumbled to herself. She hadn't been jogging in a million years. It was early. She wanted to be in bed, but a part of her couldn't help the anticipation and excitement that suddenly started to brew in the pit of her stomach.

She fell into a slow jog next to Bo. The moonlight illuminated the road they ran on. She was impressed that he was actually making time to help her get her confidence back. It didn't take long for her body to ache and her lungs to burn. She cursed herself. She was out of shape.

"How you doing FancyFace?" Bo asked. His jog looked effortless.

Hope rolled her eyes, "I feel like I'm dying. Not alive."

Bo laughed as Hope huffed, "It'll come. One mile. It's not far. We'll be done before you know it."

"There are other ways to feel alive," Hope mumbled, "Without clothes."

Bo shot her a look and smiled, "I don't think you need any practice in the bedroom cadet, but I'll happily participate in anything with no clothes required."

Hope laughed and shoved her shoulder into his side, "I am not a cadet."

Bo winked at her, "Whatever you say Detective."

They finished Hope's first mile in 10 minutes. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as they came to a stop in the driveway.

"Ready for the bag?" Bo asked. He handed her a bottle of water he'd left on the back bumper of his old pick up truck.

Hope took a long drink. She still couldn't believe she was up running at 4:30 in the morning, but she kind of liked it, "Brady, I don't know how to use that thing."

"That's what I'm here for." Bo laughed, "I'll teach you."

Hope's eyes widened in mock terror as she followed him into the garage. They sat in silence as Bo gently and securely wrapped her wrists with boxing tape. Hope watched his technique intently.

"Bo, I'm sorry." Hope confessed.

"For…?" Bo questioned. He didn't look up at her, he only continued his work. He held her right hand with care.

"Last night." Hope shrugged sheepishly, "I let my insecurities get the best of me."

Bo stopped and placed her hand in his lap. He held it with both hands, "Don't be. How will we ever get passed the things that brought us down if we shove them under the rug? We have to confront this stuff head on. We had a tough discussion last night, but we're doing okay today. Right?"

Hope swallowed slowly and absorbed his words, "Right."

Bo kissed her wrapped hand and grabbed her unwrapped left one, "What's bothering you?"

Hope shrugged, "Nothing. I'm just… I don't know."

Bo caressed her cheek, "You feel guilty?"

"Kind of," Hope nodded, "But I'm also still trying to process that we didn't have a blow up fight. You made me stay. I didn't leave. You're not acting resentful."

"You don't trust this?" Bo asked in understanding, "You're waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Hope felt the instinct to pull away from him to hide. She fought the urge with everything she had. Bo watched her knowingly and pulled her gently into his lap.

"We fell in love when we were kids." Bo sighed, "I think a lot of old habits die hard. We've grown up quite a bit and learned from our mistakes. It's scary. I think we're going to do a lot of scary things that surprise both of us… but they'll make us stronger and better than ever. We just have to trust each other, and we have to stay. No matter what. Neither one of us gets to walk away when things get tough."

"Do you trust me?" Hope almost whispered, somewhat scared of his answer.

"Yes." Bo answered without hesitation.

"Why?" Hope questioned, "After everything you said last night… I hurt you. I break your heart."

Bo smiled, "But you also represent everything good that has ever happened to me. You're my partner. I need you, even if I have a history of pretending that I don't. Am I scared? Sometimes. But I know that it's scarier to live without you."

Hope half smiled. She had a lesson to learn in that. They were better together than apart. Trusting him was the only option, and deep down she knew she did. Because like him, she knew that everything good that ever happened to her was because of him. Their life together was the adventure she craved. His love was what she needed. She kissed him, ready to burst with love and gratitude.

"Ready to kick some ass on this bag?" Bo asked as he put the finishing touches on her left hand.

"I love your confidence in me," Hope almost laughed as she stood up. Nerves lit up inside of her.

Bo stood behind the bag eyeing her, "We good?"

Hope nodded once with confidence, "We're good."

Bo smiled, "Show me what you got."

Hope smiled at him and inhaled deeply before letting her fists fly.


	35. Chapter 35

**Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Thirty Five**

Hope groaned when her alarm clock blared. Her body ached. Bo's bootcamp was having torturous effects on her muscles. She didn't want to get up. As she reached for the snooze button, she realized it was daylight. She looked around the bedroom. She was alone. She frowned.

"Mommy," Ciara's voice called to her from the hallway.

Hope looked at the clock. It was 8:00am. Confusion flooded her.

"Yeah baby?" Hope called as she scrambled out of bed.

Ciara appeared at her doorway and observed her curiously. Hope ran a hand through her messy hair, "What's wrong?"

"Aren't you going to take me to school?" Ciara questioned.

Hope's heart sank, "Of course I am."

"In your pajamas?" Ciara asked confused.

"No," Hope shook her head, "No, I'll change."

"10 minutes," Ciara replied, "I'll wait for you in the car."

Hope looked at the clock again. Then she looked at the empty bed. Bo was up to something. She scurried around to dress in something more presentable than pajamas. She settled on something she could run in and threw her hair up in a pony tail.

She raced down the stairs and to the car where her daughter waited patiently. Hope chose not to acknowledge the the fact that this would be her first time out of the house alone. She gripped the steering wheel and started the car.

"Are you okay mommy?" Ciara questioned as she watched her.

Hope nodded, "I'm fine sweetie. Are you?"

Ciara nodded and buckled her seat belt.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Hope questioned, "Did you brush your teeth?"

Ciara nodded, "I'm a big girl. I know how to get ready for school."

"I'm sorry mommy slept so late." Hope replied, "Where's daddy? Did you see him before he left?"

"He had to go to work early," Ciara nodded, "He didn't want to wake you up. He said you needed to sleep."

"Huh," Hope nodded. She drove through Salem quietly, occasionally stealing glances at her daughter. She tried to suppress the guilt that nagged at her. She felt selfish and idiotic for not being present for her little girl. When she pulled up to the car line up at school, Ciara unbuckled her seat belt.

"You better not try to leave this car without giving me a hug first," Hope demanded.

Ciara smiled, "I would never!"

Hope smiled back. Her little girl was growing up so fast. She twirled her long hair, "You did such a great job getting ready all by yourself. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks mommy," Ciara grinned with pride and wrapped both arms around Hope's neck.

Hope kissed Ciara's cheek, "Have a wonderful day at school."

Ciara jumped out of the car, "Daddy said he left you a present on the kitchen table."

"He did?" Hope's eyebrows raised.

Ciara nodded, "And that he'll be late at work so he can't pick me up today."

Hope's eyes narrowed, but she recovered quickly, "Looks like I'll see you soon then."

"Ok," Ciara smiled, "Can't wait!"

Hope smiled at her daughter as Ciara slammed the car door. She fell into a cluster of children and ran towards the front doors to her school. Hope searched in her purse for her phone, but realized she left it at home. Bo was up to something alright. Curiosity overwhelmed her as she drove back through Salem.

When she pulled into the driveway and put the car in park, she felt a small boost of confidence from completing her uneventful trip to the school and back on her own. She almost laughed at herself. She killed the engine and made her way to the kitchen to find the present Ciara mentioned.

She found a small gift bag with pink tissue paper. She eagerly reached her hand in the sack to find runner's mace with an attached note.

'Until you get your gun back…  
Love, Bo'

Hope smiled to herself. She tore the mace from the plastic package it came from and fastened the velcro around her hand. Her heart raced a little faster than normal as she thought about running alone. She gripped the weapon in her hand and thought about the fighting moves Bo had been teaching her. They weren't necessarily new. She knew them. She'd used them on the job, but relearning them was something she needed to prove to herself that she wasn't a victim. She could defend herself.

She sighed as she stepped out the front door. She could do this. She not only wanted to prove it to herself. She wanted to prove it to Bo. She knew he would know she felt that way. He knew her too well, which is why he set her up.

She fell into an easy pace on the familiar route she'd taken with Bo many times. Her eyes darted around her environment and she occasionally gripped the mace a little too tightly in her hand when a noise would startle her. Regardless, she kept running.

* * *

Later that evening, Bo arrived home and rubbed his eyes when he parked his vehicle. Work had been rough. He was tired. He checked his phone once more. He hadn't heard from Hope all day and he couldn't decide if it was a good or a bad sign.

He was making his way up the front walk when Ciara opened the front door in greeting.

"Hey Daddy!" Ciara grinned.

Bo smiled as he bent down to hug her when she ran to him, "Hey! How was your day?"

"It was good," Ciara replied, "Mommy took me for ice cream after school."

Bo's eyes widened in surprise, "She did?"

Ciara nodded with pride, "Then we came home and did homework and now she's making dinner."

"Your mom is cooking?" Bo's eyebrows raised, "Is she feeling alright?"

Ciara giggled and then defended her mother, "It smells yummy!"

Bo closed the front door and locked it behind him, before making his way to the kitchen. He found Hope setting the table, "Hey FancyFace."

She smiled at him, "Hey Brady."

Bo took the scene that greeted him in the kitchen in with disbelief. Hope leaned over with a hand full of plates to kiss him, "Thank you."

Bo stared at her serious face, "For what?"

"For today," Hope replied seriously. She placed the plates on the table and reached for his hands, "For everything."

"Did you run?" Bo questioned as he held her hands in his.

Hope nodded once, "I did."

Bo smiled at her, "So you enjoyed my little gift?"

Hope nodded again, "I did."

"I'm proud of you," Bo replied seriously, "I knew you could do it."

She kissed him again, "You gave me more than a little gift…"

Bo tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and waited for her to continue.

"I've been so caught up in me and everything that has happened. I haven't been a mother," Hope spoke slowly to keep her emotions in check, "It's been easy for me to be selfish because you're here. Doing all the work. You've been taking such good care of our daughter. Today reminded me that my life is much bigger than what happened to me. I've been neglecting one of the biggest reasons that gives my life purpose and I'm so sorry."

Bo pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, "Hope, Ciara has two parents for a reason. I'm happy to carry the heavier load. I'm her father. We're partners. We've always been in this together. You have been through a lot. I knew you'd jump back in when you're ready."

Hope bit her lip to keep in her unshed tears, "Thank you."

Bo kissed her. His heart swelled at her progress. Hope wrapped her arms around him when their kiss broke. They held each other for a moment.

"One step at a time remember?" Bo asked.

Hope nodded into his shoulder. She was so thankful for his support, "I love you."

Bo kissed her temple, "I love you too."

Ciara burst excitedly into the kitchen, "Is it time for dinner yet?"

"Yeah, what's this dinner I smell?" Bo winked at Hope, "Dare I say it smells safe to eat?"

Hope laughed, "There's only one way to find out!"


End file.
